Rahul Bajaj may emerge as consensus candidate for RS seat

Mumbai, June 4 (UNI) Noted industrialist Rahul Bajaj is likely to enter the Rajya Sabha to fill the seat left vacant following the death of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.

The BJP, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are engaged in parleys to prop Mr Bajaj as a consensus candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.

Top sources in all the three parties admitted that discussions were on to ensure Mr Bajaj's entry in the Upper House of Parliament.

The bypoll will be held on June 15.

However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar is currently in London and State BJP chief Nitin Gadkari is also abroad. BJP leader Gopinath Munde, the brother-in-law of the late Pramod Mahajan is in Delhi with Mahajan's son Rahul, who is recuperating there in hospital.

The sources said Rahul Bajaj is willing to become a Rajya Sabha member as an independent, with the support of these parties.

For the Congress, its State unit chief Prabha Rau had emerged as the front-runner for the seat but the party will have to do a rethink following Mr Bajaj's name cropping up, the sources said.

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