MVA finally seals seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra, Congress gets most seats | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: After prolonged disputes and bickering, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) late on Tuesday finalized the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming assembly elections. Insiders revealed that the Congress would contest 105 seats, the Shiv Sena (UBT) 95 and the NCP (SP) 84 seats. The remaining four seats will be given to the coalition’s smaller allies, reportedly to ensure they remain part of the alliance.

The seat-sharing formula is different from that of the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, where the Shiv Sena (UBT) contested the maximum number of seats (21 out of 48), the Congress contested seventeen seats and the NCP (SP ) fought for ten seats. The turnaround in the numbers in these elections came on the back of the Congress emerging as the largest party in the Lok Sabha polls – winning thirteen seats, followed by the nine of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP ( SP). eight.

Seat-sharing talks, which had been going on for weeks, formally resumed between the three parties on Monday after senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, who was appointed as mediator, met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief. Uddhav Thackeray at their respective homes. The Congress leadership wanted to ease the tension built up during the hectic talks that did not end on a positive note and led to an altercation between Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders last week.

“There are a few seats left that need further discussion,” Thorat had said after meeting Pawar on Tuesday morning. ‘There is no difference of opinion among us. All three parties have strong candidates and are therefore pushing their claims,” he stressed, noting that the alliance partners had ironed out their differences on most of the seats.

Thorat, known as a soft-spoken leader, managed to de-escalate the situation, and leaders of the three parties held a discussion on the disputed seats, further reducing their number to 12, the MVA quoted above said insiders. Of these six seats – Sangola, Junnar, Khed Alandi, Chinchwad, Bhosri and Paranda – both the NCP (SP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) were claimed.

Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Nana Patole had told reporters that the MVA parties were trying to conclude the talks within a day. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said after the meeting that a formula had been decided, which would be announced on Wednesday.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance was also only able to conclude an amicable seat-sharing pact among the three electorates on Tuesday. However, the three parties have roughly worked out the formula: 155 to 160 seats for the BJP, 85 to 90 for the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 45 to 50 for the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, according to leaders aware of the talks . There is a dispute over about 25 seats, which is expected to be resolved soon, they said.

Leaders of the three parties are expected to meet Union House Amit Shah to resolve the issue. Deputy Prime Minister Devendra Fadnavis left for Delhi late on Tuesday. Earlier, Prime Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis held a meeting at the former’s official bungalow, Varsha, late on Monday and tried to resolve the impasse over seat sharing.

Of the 25 to 28 contested seats, some are from Mumbai, including Andheri East, Dindoshi and Worli. The ruling Maharashtra alliance is expected to back Navnirman Sena candidates in key constituencies like Sewri and Mahim to avoid vote-sharing.

In addition, the three parties have decided to swap some seats with sitting MLAs and candidates in the absence of deserving contenders. For example, BJP leader Rajkumar Badole joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday and will contest from Arjuni Morgaon, where Ajit’s sitting MLA Manohar Chandrikapure is likely to be dropped. There will be more such exchanges and adjustments,” said a leader of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.