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As the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 approaches, the seat-sharing arrangement within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) remains unresolved. MVA sources have indicated that a final decision on seat allocation will likely be made within the next couple of days. Meanwhile, a statement from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has brought more details to the fore. Amid ongoing differences over seat-sharing, the MVA allies—Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)—have engaged in discussions with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to resolve the issue.
Senior leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT) spoke to ABP News about the ongoing seat-sharing dispute. They disclosed, “We have given Ramtek and Amravati Lok Sabha seats to Congress, including a seat that has been won for six consecutive terms. Now, we are demanding at least three seats in Vidarbha, but Congress is not ready to concede. We remain firm on our demands. However, we are confident that the issues will be resolved in a day or two, and we will secure the seats in Vidarbha.”
Sources within the MVA revealed that an agreement on seat-sharing could be reached within a day or two once a consensus is achieved. A meeting was held at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai where Congress leader Naseem Khan, Shiv Sena leaders Aaditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Anil Parab, and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh met with Sharad Pawar.
According to sources, senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra are currently in Delhi to participate in the Central Election Committee meeting. Discussions among MVA allies are centred around 10 to 12 seats, focusing on which party can field the strongest candidates.
Congress leader Naseem Khan stated that discussions are ongoing to reach a consensus on the remaining 10 per cent of the seats. He said, “Since Sharad Pawar is the architect for MVA, we met him and held talks.”
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday said, “We have discussed 96 seats today. There are some seats in the discussion, but we did not talk about them. We will talk to Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray tomorrow. Regarding the sharing problem on 30-40 seats, we will find a way for it…”, as reported by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole says, “We have discussed 96 seats today. There are some seats in the discussion, but we did not talk about them. We will talk to Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray tomorrow. Regarding the sharing problem on 30-40 seats, we will find… pic.twitter.com/2ksDGrmUwe
— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2024
Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Shiv Sena UBT-Congress Public Spat, Uddhav Thackeray’s Advice To Avert ‘Breaking Point’
This development comes as the MVA partners work to finalise their seat-sharing arrangement ahead of the upcoming elections, aiming to ensure a smooth campaign process. The differences among MVA allies had recently escalated into a public spat, with a war of words between Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
Last week, the MVA was said to have formed a pact on 260 of the 288 in Maharashtra. However, the remaining 28 turned out to be so contentious that the Shiv Sena (UBT) reportedly threatened to not participate in discussions if Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole took part in them. “The pending decision should be expedited. Very little time is left (for voting). Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. They have to send the list to Delhi (central leadership) frequently and then discussions happen. The decision (on constituency allocation) will have to be taken at the earliest,” Raut had said, as quoted by PTI.
Hitting back Patole remarked, “Sanjay Raut is the leader of Uddhav Thackeray. Our leaders are Malikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the leader of the NCP (SCP) is Sharad Pawar. In the seat-sharing committee, neither Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Malikarjun Kharge nor Rahul Gandhi remain present. But the committee has been formed at the orders of these leaders”, as quoted by ANI.
He further asserted that he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik along with the party’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala over the matter.
The tensions prompted Uddhav Thackeray to urge the MVA allies to avoid stretching matters to a “breaking point”.
ALSO READ | Maharashtra Polls: Amid MVA Seat-Sharing Standoff, Uddhav Thackeray Cautions Against Reaching ‘Breaking Point’
Maharashtra Election 2024: BJP Fields 99 Candidates In First List
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 99 candidates on Sunday. Following this, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto accused the BJP of practising dynastic politics. “Those who feel BJP doesn’t believe in dynastic politics will be embarrassed after reading the list. They must understand that the BJP truly believes in dynastic politics,” he remarked, as quoted by PTI.
The BJP’s candidate list includes relatives of influential leaders, such as Sreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sreejaya Chavan is set to make her electoral debut from Bhokar in Nanded district, a constituency previously represented by her father. The BJP has also renominated Nitesh Rane, son of former Union minister Narayan Rane, from the Kankavli seat in Sindhudurg district, as well as Santosh Danve, the sitting MLA from Bhokardan constituency in Jalna and son of former Union minister Raosaheb Danve.
