NCP Leader Praful Patel Resigns From Rajya Sabha After Re-Election For New Term

Patel, who has aligned himself with Ajit Pawar in the NCP's factional fight, was recently elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament from Maharashtra.

Patel was elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fifth term in July 2022.

Source : X/@praful_patel

New Delhi: NCP leader Praful Patel on Tuesday resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha. He was recently re-elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament from Maharashtra. Patel, a former Union minister, sided with Ajit Pawar when the latter split the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party last year.

Patel, who had four years left in his fifth term, was fielded in the Rajya Sabha elections as he was facing a disqualification petition filed by the NCP's Sharad Pawar-led faction.

"Shri Praful Patel, an elected Member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the State of Maharashtra, resigned his seat in the Rajya Sabha and his resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, wef the 27th of February, 2024," a Rajya Sabha bulletin said on Tuesday.

NCP leader Praful Patel resigns from Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/XbUsQ4VdIz

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 27, 2024

Patel was elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fifth term in July 2022.

Taking to X, Patel wrote, "I was elected as the Rajysabha MP for the tenure of 2022-2028. I have resigned from my 4 year balanced old term of Rajysabha membership as I have been elected on Rajya Sabha for a new term which will be effective from 2024 to 2030. Hence I continue to be the member of the August house till 2030."

I was elected as the Rajysabha MP for the tenure of 2022-2028. I have resigned from my 4 year balanced old term of Rajysabha membership as I have been elected on Rajya Sabha for a new term which will be effective from 2024 to 2030. Hence I continue to be the member of the August… pic.twitter.com/ocfYik7P4f

— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) February 27, 2024

The NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar, the new name of the Sharad Pawar-led group, had filed a disqualification petition against Patel under Section 2(a) of the Tenth Schedule, which provides for disqualification on grounds of defection.

The acceptance of Patel's resignation from the Rajya Sabha will enable him to commence a new term in the Upper House, replacing Vandana Chavan, who concludes her tenure in April, reported PTI.

Sharad Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar, walked out of the NCP with a majority of party MLAs last July and was sworn in as a deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

Recently, the Election Commission recognised the Ajit Pawar group as the real NCP and allotted the party's 'clock' election symbol to it. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar also recognised the Ajit Pawar-led group as the real NCP.

The Election Commission will now have to call for a bypoll to fill the vacancy created by Patel's resignation, as per the PTI report.