Political parties and key alliances in Maharashtra are racing to finalise the seat-sharing pact and choose candidates for the upcoming elections Assembly Elections. The voting for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections will take place on November 23. The contest is between two key alliances – the ruling Mahayuti (NDA) and Opposition Maha Aghadi Vikas (MVA or INDIA bloc allies). The election results will be declared on November 23.
Mahayuti is an alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, the MVA consists of the Congress, Sharad Pawar's NCP-SP and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena-UBT. Both alliances are yet to declare their seat-sharing arrangements.
There are 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra. In the 2019 Maharashtra Elections, the Congress and unified Shiv Sena won 154 out of 288 seats as part of the MVA. However, this time around, the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress are in alliance to counter the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
Here's a closer look at what's brewing in Maharashtra politics as elections near:
1. The Mahayuti is expected to announce the seat-sharing agreement soon. Source told news agency ANI that the BJP is expected to contest around 150-160 seats, while Shiv Sena will likely contest 75-85 seats, and the NCP is poised to run in approximately 48-55 constituencies. The official announcement is likely to be made on Sunday, October 19.
A meeting regarding the NDA alliance for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections was held at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's residence on Friday. According to the report, the three parties had previously reached a consensus on 240 seats, but discussions were ongoing for the remaining 48 seats where alignment had been challenging.
3. The MVA has also not declared their seat-sharing arrangement yet. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said earlier there was a stalemate over 25 to 30 seats. He said decision has been made on 260 of the total 288 seats. However, INDIA bloc ally and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav declared candidates for five of the 12 seats he is demanding.
Meanwhile, Congress' election in-charge for Maharashtra Assembly elections, Ramesh Chennithala said, “... MVA has no differences and we are together in this.”
Earlier on Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Vinayak Raut and Congress election in-charge for Maharashtra polls Ramesh Chenninthala arrived at Matoshree to meet Uddhav Thackeray and said that discussion was held on the seat-sharing with Maha Vikas Aghadi where Congress President Nana Patole would also be present.
4. The Samajwadi Party (SP) demanded 12 seats as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday. He said, "We already have two MLAs. We are those people who are sometimes satisfied with fewer seats also..." Yadav addressed rallies in Malegaon on Friday and Dhule on Saturday.
5. The SP has released the names of five candidates for the Maharashtra elections so far. On Friday, the party declared sitting MLA Rais Shaikh's candidature from Bhiwandi East, Riyaz Azmi from Bhiwandi West and Shaan-E-Hind from Malegaon Central. The SP's state president, Abu Asim Azmi, is a sitting MLA and will contest from the Shivajinagar-Mankhurd seat. On Saturday, the SP declared the candidature of Irshad Jahagirdar from Dhule city.
