NDA leaders are finalizing the seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra. In this context, late Friday night, Home Minister Amit Shah discussed seat sharing with alliance partners, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP President Ajit Pawar. The significant meeting concluded around 12:45 am. According to sources, the Delhi meeting involving seat distribution for the Mahayuti analyzed each seat. Amit Shah informed the allies that the criteria for winning must be met, but vote transfer amongst the alliance is also crucial, requiring a fair distribution of seats.
During the meeting, Eknath Shinde claimed that compared to the UBT Shiv Sena, the candidates from the Shinde faction are in a better position. He mentioned that it is unlikely Shiv Sena votes in Mumbai seats contested by UBT will transfer to BJP or NCP candidates. Amit Shah assured consideration of all aspects for ensuring mutual vote transfer. Discussions also revolved around the probability of seat transfer within the Mahayuti.
BJP's Strategy for Surpassing 400 Seats
BJP is earnestly pursuing its goal of 'over 400 seats', making every seat crucial towards this target. The party is deliberating on every facet of regional and caste dynamics. Recently, Amit Shah, on his Maharashtra trip, also held meetings with party leaders and those of the alliance. A meeting took place on the 5th of March late at night at the Sahyadri Guest House with Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, and Eknath Shinde, focusing on seat sharing. Shah first met Fadnavis and Pawar; this meeting lasted about half an hour. After their departure, Amit Shah discussed for approximately 45 minutes with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP's Mumbai President Aashish Shelar. It was reported that consensus on most seats was reached during these meetings, but the final stamp was pending.
Possible Formula for Seat Sharing!
Preliminary analysis suggests that BJP is likely to contest 28 to 30 seats, Shiv Sena around 10 to 12 seats, and NCP about 6 to 8 seats. Notably, before the BJP CEC meeting on the 11th, another round of discussions is scheduled in Delhi between Amit Shah, Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Nadda on that date.
What Were the Election Results Last Time?
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP won 23 out of the 25 seats it contested, while its then-alliance partner, the undivided Shiv Sena, won 18 of the 23 seats it contested. As for the undivided NCP, it contested 19 seats in the last election, winning four. Following the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Shiv Sena, which joined hands with Congress and NCP to form a coalition government, split in 2022. The majority of the party's MPs and MLAs sided with Eknath Shinde, who later took oath as CM with the support of BJP.
