Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Mahayuti Finalises Majority Of Seats; MVA Struggles Over Last 50

The upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, which will decide the fate of 288 seats, are expected to be held after Diwali. These elections are anticipated to be highly competitive. Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are engaged in discussions to finalise their seat-sharing arrangements. However, some disagreements have arisen within both alliances over certain constituencies, as per a report from Amar Ujala.

Seat Sharing In Mahayuti

Maharashtra's current government is led by the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Numerous meetings have been held between these allies to divide the 288 assembly seats for the upcoming elections. Amar Ujala reports suggest that talks over 235 seats have already concluded, while discussions regarding the remaining 53 are still ongoing.

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BJP Maharashtra President Chandrashekhar Bawankule recently informed the media that the Mahayuti has successfully finalised seat-sharing for about 90 per cent of the constituencies. According to local media, the BJP is expected to contest over 155 seats, while the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) will likely receive more than 60 seats. Ajit Pawar's NCP is expected to contest between 60 and 65 seats. NCP working president Praful Patel expressed satisfaction with the allocation, stating in the daily, "We had asked for respectable seats, and we are happy with the allocation of 60 to 65 seats."

Patel also made an important announcement, revealing that the Mahayuti's first list of 235 candidates will be unveiled on Dussehra, which falls on October 12. Additionally, there had been speculation that Ajit Pawar might not contest the election from Baramati. However, Patel clarified that Ajit Pawar will indeed stand from his traditional seat in Baramati, affirming, "I officially announce that Ajit Pawar will be the candidate from Baramati."

Seat Sharing In MVA

On the other side, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which consists of the Congress, Sharad Pawar's NCP (Sharad faction), and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), has also been in intense negotiations to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement. Several meetings have been held at the YB Chavan Centre in South Mumbai, attended by key leaders from all three parties. Among the attendees were Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai, former Home Minister and NCP (SPA) leader Anil Deshmukh, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole.

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Former Home Minister Deshmukh confirmed that most of the seat-sharing process within the MVA has been completed, except for a few remaining constituencies. He also revealed that the alliance's first list of candidates will be announced on Dussehra, October 12. Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar echoed this, stating that while the majority of the seats have been settled, around 50 to 55 seats still require discussion. The final decision on these will be made in a meeting scheduled for October 14.

Deshmukh reassured the public that although there are disputes over some seats, they will be resolved amicably without the need for intervention from national leaders in Delhi. He also emphasised that there has been no discussion or disagreement over the Chief Minister's post, as the alliance's primary focus is on defeating the Mahayuti government.

Expected Seat Distribution In MVA

Reports suggest that the Congress could contest over 100 seats, while Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is expected to also contest around 100 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP (Sharad faction) is likely to field candidates in more than 80 constituencies. The seat allocation within the MVA largely reflects the results of the 2019 Assembly elections, with 154 seats retained by the parties that won them previously. The remaining 86 seats will be allocated based on various factors, including vote shares from the 2019 elections and the performance of parties in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole highlighted that the main criterion for seat allocation is not merely the number of seats, but the party's ability to win in those constituencies.

The coming days will be crucial as both alliances finalise their candidate lists and prepare for what promises to be an interesting and closely watched election in Maharashtra.