Maharashtra Assembly Election: Amit Shah to Chair Pre-Poll Meeting On October 1 Amid Seat-Sharing Talks

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Maharashtra on Tuesday for a pre-election meeting amid growing pressure among Mahayuti alliance partners over seat-sharing ahead of the state Assembly elections scheduled for November.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, "Shah will hold a meeting to review poll preparation in Mumbai, Thane and Konkan region."

During his visit last week, Shah met with party workers across various regions, including Vidarbha, Marathwada, and North and Western Maharashtra, reported Indian Express.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that discussions on seat-sharing between Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP (part of the Mahayuti alliance) are "progressing well," noting that "almost 80% of the seats have been discussed and decided... just 20% remains."

A senior BJP leader mentioned that the parties have agreed in principle to retain their current constituencies, while other seats will be allocated based on merit and winnability.

Currently, the BJP has 105 MLAs, Shiv Sena has 40, and the NCP has 41, accounting for 186 seats. Discussions are ongoing for the remaining 102 seats.

After Eknath Shinde took control of the Maharashtra government in June 2022 with the backing of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs and 10 independents, many of these independents are now reconsidering their support for Shinde. Some are exploring other options, including forming a third front.

One example is the Prahar Janashakti Party, led by Bacchu Kadu, which announced plans to contest separately under the Maha Shakti banner. This third front includes the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Raju Shetti, and former BJP MP Sambhaji Chhatrapati.

While Shinde, Fadnavis, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar have held two extensive meetings recently, negotiations are still "inconclusive," according to BJP insiders.

NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal argued, "On merit, we deserve at least 85 to 90 seats," recalling how the party accepted fewer seats in the Lok Sabha polls, expecting compensation in the Assembly elections.

Another NCP leader involved in the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked, "Till final decision is arrived, it would be inappropriate to make any comment. We don't want things to go wrong."

As the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Shiv Sena UBT, NCP (SP), and Congress, plans to contest as a united front, the BJP recognises that any missteps could harm the party.

Although there is internal pressure from BJP workers not to give in to demands from Shinde and Ajit Pawar, the party's leadership is taking a pragmatic approach, aiming for at least 155-160 seats to contest, as lower numbers could cause unrest within the organization.

In the Indapur constituency, senior BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil is reportedly considering running as an independent or joining NCP (SP) after struggling to secure his candidacy in a seat where Ajit Pawar's party holds the incumbent MLA, Dattatrey Bharne.

The BJP faces challenges not just from Ajit Pawar but also from Shiv Sena, which is asserting its dominance in the Konkan region, where it controls 36 seats in Mumbai and 24 seats in Thane, totaling 60 constituencies.

A Shiv Sena cabinet minister stated, "Konkan region is our identity and strength," emphasizing that Shiv Sena expects the upper hand in the region, just as BJP claims dominance in Vidarbha.

In Vidarbha, which has 62 seats, the BJP has set a goal of winning at least 45 seats. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP won 44 seats in Vidarbha, but this number dropped to 29 in 2019. With key leaders like Nitin Gadkari, Fadnavis, Bawankule, and Sudhir Mungantiwar, the BJP hopes to retain its influence in the cotton-growing region.

In addition, the BJP faces competition from Shiv Sena in Marathwada (46 seats) and from NCP in Western Maharashtra (70 seats). However, the BJP remains confident in its stronghold in North Maharashtra.