Maharashtra Assembly polls: MVA allies reach pact, to contest 85 seats each

Deliberations still on for the remaining 33 seats

PTI

Mumbai, Updated At : 10:54 PM Oct 23, 2024 IST

Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (Sharad)'s Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Nana Patole during the gathering of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) workers and office-bearers of Maharashtra Assembly elections, in Mumbai. PTI file

After days of stalemate, Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday announced contesting 85 seats each in Maharashtra Assembly elections even as deliberations to seal a final pact are still underway.

The three allies are discussing the sharing of the remaining 33 seats out of the total 288 among themselves and smaller parties.

Addressing a press conference here in the evening, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said consensus has been reached on 270 out of a total of 288 seats for the November 20 elections.

“We will include Samajwadi Party, PWP, CPI(M), CPI, and AAP. Discussions are still on for the remaining seats. We have amicably arrived at a consensus on 270 seats. MVA stands united to defeat the Mahayuti government,” Raut said.

State Congress chief Nana Patole said the remaining seats will be left for smaller parties.

Speaking separately to reporters, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai explained the division of 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,” Desai added.

The seat-sharing talks among opposition members dragged on for weeks due to a bitter dispute between 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 on the sharing of seats continues, minor parties within the opposition bloc, including the Samajwadi Party (SP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Left parties, and the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), were growing increasingly restless.

Notably, the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP had demanded 12 seats from the MVA quota and declared candidates in five constituencies.

Aspirants from various parties are flocking to MVA offices seeking tickets as the nomination filing process got under way—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 Maharashtra during the last general elections, the smaller parties are keen to contest under the INDI alliance banner, which effectively relegated the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to just 17 seats.

In the 2019 Maharashtra elections, BJP won 105 seats and its then ally Shiv Sena (undivided) 56. The NCP (undivided), which was part of the UPA, bagged 54 constituencies and Congress 44.

Shiv Sena (UBT) releases 1st list of 65 candidates, Aaditya to contest from Worli

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday evening released its first list of 65 candidates with former minister Aaditya Thackeray being fielded from his present Worli constituency in central Mumbai.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party was the first constituent of the Opposition's MVA alliance to release a list of candidates. The Congress and NCP(SP) have not yet released their lists.

Yuva Sena leader and Aaditya Thackeray's cousin Varun Sardesai would contest from Bandra (East) seat in the city.

The party has renominated most of its MLAs who stayed with party chief Uddhav Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022. However, it is yet to declare the candidate from Shivadi seat in Mumbai, currently represented by the party's Ajay Choudhary.

In neighbouring Thane's Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat, where Chief Minister and rival Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde is in the fray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded Kedar Dighe. Kedar Dighe is the nephew of late Sena leader Anand Dighe, considered to be Shinde's political mentor.

In Mahim in central Mumbai, Sena (UBT)'s Mahesh Sawant will take on the Shiv Sena's Sada Sarvankar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, in a triangular contest.

The Sena (UBT) fielded former MP Rajan Vichare, who lost the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, from the Thane city assembly seat. Vichare had represented the seat from 2009 until he won the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.

Satyajit Patil, who unsuccessfully contested from Hatkanangale Lok Sabha seat, has been fielded from Shahuwadi in Kolhapur district.

Some turncoats also found place in the Sena (UBT)'s first list. Former MP Unmesh Patil, who joined the party after the BJP denied him a Lok Sabha ticket, was fielded from Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district.