After the Lok Sabha elections, the tug of war over seat distribution within the NDA-led Mahayuti alliance begins for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Senior leader of Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) Ramdas Kadam targeted the allied BJP and Ajit Pawar. Kadam asserted that had the Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) announced their Lok Sabha candidates two months before the elections like BJP, they could have secured all 15 seats. When we announced our candidates, BJP leaped into action and laid claims to those seats.
He mentioned that he requested Eknath Shinde to halt any intervention, otherwise representatives like Hemant Godse from Nasik, Bhavana Gawali from Yavatmal, and Hemant Patil from Hingoli could have reached the parliament. Ramdas Kadam sarcastically noted that a delay in Ajit Pawar's entrance might have been for the best.
Kadam Voices Ambitions to Contest 100 Assembly Seats
Ramdas Kadam expressed the aspiration to contest 100 assembly seats and confidently claimed that they would surely win 90 of those. He urged CM Shinde to demand these 100 seats for the Shinde Faction.
Ajit Camp Strikes Back
On the other side, spokesperson of Ajit Pawar's faction, Amol Mitkari, pointed out on the social media platform 'X' that Ajit Pawar's timely entry saved the Shinde Faction from a complete debacle.
Senior Leadership to Decide on Seat Distribution, says BJP
In the meantime, BJP leader and cabinet minister Girish Mahajan clarified that anyone can ask for as many seats as desired. However, the final decision will be made by the senior leadership in a collective meeting.
Uddhav Faction Mocks Shinde Faction's Demands
The Uddhav Faction is taking jabs at the Shinde Faction's demands regarding seat allocation. Spokesperson Anand Dubey mentioned that beggars can't be choosers, warning that as soon as the Shinde Faction shows their power, the state government will collapse, and they will face the brunt of central agencies.
Performance Overview of Lok Sabha for Different Factions
After the results of the Lok Sabha elections, a rift among the constituents of Mahayuti is evident. BJP, which contested on 28 seats, could secure only 9, whereas NCP (Ajit Faction) managed to win just 1 seat out of the 5 they contested. On the other hand, the Shinde Faction contested 15 seats and claimed 7 victories, marking the highest strike rate of nearly 50 percent.
Election Fever Rises for Maharashtra's 288 Assembly Seats
Out of Maharashtra's 288 legislative assembly seats, NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal has already staked a claim for 90 seats. Following this, Ramdas Kadam from the Shinde Faction has demanded 100 seats. This leaves BJP with only 98 seats.
