Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the allies have reached a consensus on 270 out of total 288 seats. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the rest of the seats will be left for smaller parties
The Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), on Wednesday shared its seat-sharing pact for the Maharashtra assembly elections. The allies will contest 85 seats each even as deliberations to seal a final deal are still underway.
Addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the parties have reached a consensus on 270 out of total 288 seats for the November 20 election. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the rest of the seats will be left for smaller parties.
“We will include Samajwadi Party (SP), PWP (Peasants and Workers Party of India), CPI(M), CPI and AAP. Discussions are still on for the remaining seats. We have amicably arrived at a consensus on 270 seats. The MVA stands united to defeat the Mahayuti government,” Raut said.
What does the division of seats look like?
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) reached this decision after days of stalemate between the three parties, who are now discussing the sharing of the remaining 33 seats. Speaking separately to reporters, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai explained the division of the seats so far.
“The three MVA constituents have arrived at a consensus on 85 seats each (totalling 255). Among the remaining 33 constituencies, the allies are discussing 18 seats among themselves, while the rest segments (15) will be allocated to smaller parties,” he said.
Read More: Maharashtra Polls: Shinde Sena’s 1st List Of Candidates Out, 37 Sitting MLAs Get Tickets
What is the reason behind delay in consensus?
The seat-sharing talks dragged on for weeks due to a bitter dispute between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress on certain seats, especially in the Vidarbha region and Mumbai. The Congress is not keen to cede ground in Vidarbha owing to its strong showing in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
As the impasse continued, minor parties within the opposition bloc, including the SP, AAP, Left parties, and the PWP, were growing increasingly restless. In fact, the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP had demanded 12 seats from the MVA quota and declared candidates in five constituencies.
What happens next?
Aspirants from various parties are flocking to MVA offices seeking tickets as the nomination filing process got underway — with a deadline of October 29. The continued delays in seat allocation could potentially jeopardise their electoral prospects.
With the MVA having secured 31 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the general elections, the smaller parties are keen to contest under the INDIA bloc banner, which effectively relegated the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to just 17 seats.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 105 seats and its then ally, the undivided Shiv Sena, bagged 56. The NCP (undivided), which was part of the UPA, bagged 54 constituencies and the Congress 44.
(With PTI inputs)
