Cong’s Ramesh Chennithala holds meet with Uddhav Thackeray over seat-sharing

Amid an impasse over seat-sharing for the Assembly poll among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, Congress in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to iron out the differences.

The health of both Thackeray, who was recently hospitalised for a check-up, and the Congress-NCP (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance was excellent, Chennithala told reporters after meeting the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief at the latter’s residence, “Matoshree”, in Mumbai.

The Opposition alliance’s seat-sharing talks will conclude in “a day or two”, he said after meeting the allies and state Congress leaders.

There were no differences between state Congress chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, Chennithala said, adding that “leaders of all three alliance parties are discussing the seat adjustments together”.

The ruling Mahayuti coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP was afraid of announcing its chief ministerial face, he claimed.

Raut told reporters that Chennithala met Thackeray to discuss the seats that had not been finalised. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20. Yesterday, Patole had said there was a “stalemate” over the distribution of 25 to 30 seats.

Chennithala on Saturday separately met NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and held discussions with senior state Congress leaders, including Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar, on the party’s poll strategy. He also held a meeting with senior Congress observers, including Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Charanjit Singh Channi and Prithviraj Chavan.