Maharashtra Assembly Election: MVA Reaches Consensus, Cong-Sena (UBT)-NC (SP) To Fight 85 Seats Each

The opposition alliance in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), has finalised an agreement on seat-sharing for the forthcoming state Assembly elections.

According to the arrangement, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) will each contest 85 seats.

Commenting on the seat-sharing formula, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole stated, "We've decided that Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest 85 seats each, and discussions with our alliance partners, including the Samajwadi Party, will take place over the remaining 18 seats, which will be resolved by tomorrow. We are contesting the elections as Maha Vikas Aghadi, and we will form the government."

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut confirmed that the MVA alliance had reached a consensus on the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming elections.

"We are all united here," Raut remarked, adding that the final meeting had been chaired by Sharad Pawar.

"Sharad Pawar instructed us to announce the MVA seat-sharing formula publicly," Raut said. According to him, the Sena, Congress, and NCP have agreed to share 85 seats each, making a total of 270.

"The remaining seats will be discussed later," he added, noting that the MVA intends to contest all 288 seats.

The MVA, which was formed following the 2019 state elections, aims to defeat the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.

The opposition is looking to replicate its success in the Lok Sabha elections, where it performed better than the Mahayuti alliance.

MVA secured 30 Lok Sabha seats, compared to 17 by its rivals. Congress won 13 of the 17 seats it contested, while Shiv Sena-UBT secured 9 out of 21 seats.