The seat-sharing knot in the Maharashtra Assembly elections has made it difficult to resolve, whether it is among the ruling Maha Yuti or the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The more efforts have been made to untangle it, the more complex it has become. The tussle for 106 seats among the ruling coalition comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde), and NCP (Ajit Pawar) has reached Delhi. Meanwhile, after marathon meetings, the MVA's battle for 288 seats is now down to 18 critical seats.
The MVA allies—Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar)—held a press conference about seat sharing. Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole announced that there is agreement on 270 seats. Sanjay Raut said that an amicable consensus has been achieved for 270 seats. Out of these, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar) will contest on 255 seats.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole stated that all three parties will contest on 85 seats each. The conversation continues with other alliance parties regarding the remaining 18 seats. The MVA announced a formula with consensus on 270 seats, implying that the actual battle is over who will take the 'big brother' role, shaping the perception of leadership before the elections.
Read More: Maharashtra Election: 'The Nation Wants Us to Hit a Century', Amid MVA tensions, Sanjay Raut claims 100 seats
Congress is asking for more seats based on past assembly seat share and recent Lok Sabha election performance. The current assembly scenario also supports Congress’s demand as the largest MVA constituent. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray's party stakes its claim for the most seats based on its tenure during the MVA government.
Read More: Maharashtra Elections: MVA's Three Parties to Contest on 85 Seats Each, Several Left for Allies
In the ongoing tussle between the two allied parties, Sharad Pawar acts as a referee. His party is also unwilling to contest fewer seats. Therefore, by finding a middle ground, the three parties decided to announce the alliance based on current consensus, curbing speculation about MVA's future and verbal duels among the coalition partners. Ultimately, the remaining 18 seats will decide who becomes the 'big brother' within MVA.
What each party demanded
The proposed seat-sharing formula suggested that Congress could get between 104 to 106 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) between 92 to 96, and NCP (SP) between 85 to 88 seats. Congress was staking claim to 110 seats. Just hours before the formula announcement, Sanjay Raut asserted a claim for 100 seats, stating the nation wants them to hit a century. Currently, Congress holds 43, Shiv Sena (UBT) 15, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) 13 seats in the assembly.
