Maharashtra Assembly Election: Seat Sharing Logjam Hits Maha Vikas Aghadi Ahead Of Polls, Say Sources

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has reached an agreement on seat-sharing for 260 out of 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, according to sources.

The MVA, which consists of the Congress, Sharad Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, has also agreed to submit a list of the disputed seats to the leaders of each party within the alliance for a final decision.

According to an India Today report, sources indicate that discussions are ongoing to resolve disagreements over 28 seats, including three in Mumbai.

"Most of the unresolved seats are in the Vidarbha region, where both the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have laid claim. Three significant disputed seats in Mumbai include Versova, Byculla, and Dharavi. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are both eyeing Versova, Byculla, and Ghatkopar (West)," said a source.

The sources further stated that the Congress is likely to contest 15 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 17 seats, and the NCP three seats, including Anushakti Nagar and Ghatkopar (East) constituencies.

Senior MVA leaders met on Thursday in Mumbai to discuss the seat-sharing arrangement. The Congress is expected to release its first list of candidates on Sunday.

The meeting, which lasted nine hours, was attended by Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut, Maharashtra Congress leaders Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar, and Satej Patil, as well as senior NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, among others.

Following the meeting, Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole said there had been positive discussions regarding seat distribution. "A list of nearly 25 disputed seats will be sent to the high command of each constituent of the MVA. Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Mallikarjun Kharge will make the final decision on these seats," he said.

Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar informed reporters that the Congress's first list of candidates would be released on October 20, adding that the screening process had been completed for 84 seats. The party's central election committee (CEC) will meet on October 20 to finalise the candidates, with the announcement expected on the same day.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party state president and MLA Abu Azmi has requested 12 seats, including four in Byculla, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Versova, and Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai.

"We don't want to divide the INDIA bloc's votes, as happened in Haryana. When we contested together, we reduced the BJP's tally from 400 to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha. We must stay united to defeat the BJP in the state," Azmi said.

Azmi also mentioned that he plans to speak with party president Akhilesh Yadav, who will be visiting Malegaon and Dhule constituencies in Maharashtra on Friday, to discuss the matter with party members.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections, covering all 288 seats, will take place in a single phase on 20 November, with votes being counted and results declared on 23 November.