Bajaj wins RS election

Industrialist Rahul Bajaj, whose candidature in Rajya Sabha polls was backed by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), BJP and Shiv Sena, defeated his Congress rival Avinash Pande today. Out of 285 votes polled, Bajaj secured 195 and his rival managed to get only 90 votes.

Speaking to reporters after his win, Bajaj said, "I will take up the cause of Maharashtra and industry in general in the Rajya Sabha but won't speak about the issues related to the automobile industry as it would amount to conflict of interest".

Admitting that his candidature was backed by the NCP only because of the differences between NCP and Congress, Bajaj said, "However, these differences have not been because of me. The answer to this question lies somewhere else".

Refusing to comment on his stance on quota for OBC in higher education, Bajaj said, "Whatever I said around two months back was exploited by the Congress during these elections but before that Congress never gave any thoughts to my comments".

After Bajaj's election, questions are now being asked in the political circles in Maharashtra whether the strained relationship between the two partners of ruling Democratic Front (DF) government - Congress and NCP , will reach the point of no return. The Congress state unit president Prabha Rau admitted that the time had come to review the ties with the NCP.

However, on the question of pulling out of the government, Rau said: "The decision on this issue will have to be taken by the high command and if necessary "we will send our assessment of political situation in the state to the high command."

Playing down the rift that Bajaj's nomination created between NCP and Congress, NCP's state unit president Arun Gujrati said, "There is no threat to the stability of present Democratic Front (DF) government in the state. Such things keep happening in politics but that doesn't mean you destabalise your own government."