Mumbai, Jun 13 (IANS): NCP chief Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, who was defeated by Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, has been elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed.

Thursday was the last day for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha bypoll slated for June 25.

As Sunetra Pawar was the sole candidate who filed the nomination, she was elected to the Upper House unopposed. The Election Commission will issue a formal notification in this regard on June 18, the last date for withdrawing nomination.

With her election, Baramati will now have three MPs -- Sunetra Pawar and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in the Rajya Sabha, and Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha.

The by-election was necessitated after NCP MP Praful Patel resigned from the Upper House. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) did not nominate its nominee due to the paucity of numbers.

Strongly defending the party’s move to nominate her, Sunetra Pawar said, "The decision was unanimous for which I thank NCP President Ajit Pawar, and party leaders and officer-bearers.’’

Asked if the NCP is now restricted only to Ajit Pawar’s family, Sunetra Pawar said, "The decision on my candidature was taken by all the senior leaders of the party. Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal and other party leaders were present when I filed my nomination. So I can clearly say that there is no resentment in the party."

"There was a demand from the people for my candidature. Many activists and office-bearers also raised the demand. But I requested our party workers not to insist on my candidature. But they wanted me as the candidate, so the party took this decision."

When asked if her son Parth Pawar was also interested in a Rajya Sabha seat, Sunetra Pawar said, "It was Parth who insisted that I should be the party’s official nominee for the Rajya Sabha."