Maha Vikas Aghadi Locks Seat-Sharing Deal For Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024

For the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Tuesday locked the seat-sharing deal. According to the reports, Congress is expected to contest between 105 and 110 seats, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) will likely secure 90 to 95 seats, and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is anticipated to field candidates in 75 to 80 constituencies.

However, the final announcement is yet to be made by Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leaders.

Initially, internal conflicts over seat allocation emerged among the alliance members. Sanjay Raut from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nana Patole of Congress exchanged criticisms about seat distribution. This prompted urgent discussions among the leadership to address these issues.

Resolution Efforts

To resolve these disagreements, MVA leaders convened a nine-hour meeting at South Mumbai's Trident Hotel on Saturday. Following this, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders approached NCP chief Sharad Pawar for mediation to settle the differences within the opposition alliance.

The MVA alliance was formed after the 2019 state elections with hopes of defeating the ruling Mahayuti coalition. The Mahayuti includes BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction. The opposition aims to replicate their Lok Sabha success where they outperformed Mahayuti by winning 30 seats compared to their rival's 17.

Upcoming Elections

The Maharashtra Assembly election for its 288 members is set for November 20. Results will be announced on November 23. The MVA is keen on leveraging its previous Lok Sabha performance where Congress won 13 out of 17 contested seats, while Shiv Sena-UBT secured victory in 9 out of the 21 seats it fought.

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Nana Patole have been pivotal figures in shaping this alliance strategy. Their collaboration aims at presenting a united front against the current government coalition in Maharashtra.

This strategic seat-sharing agreement marks a significant step for the MVA as they prepare for the upcoming electoral battle against their political adversaries in Maharashtra.