Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar Steers MVA Toward Seat-Sharing Consensus, Yet Tensions Linger

Mumbai: Sharad Pawar has long been the master of political strategy, often referred to as “Power Play” for good reason. On Wednesday, he once again demonstrated why, proving that age and setbacks have done little to diminish his ability to outmaneuver opponents. But first, the news: after days of intense negotiations, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) finally revealed a seat-sharing formula on  Wednesday evening—85 seats each for Congress, the NCP (Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party), and  Uddhav Shiv Sena  (UBT). However, as with any deal brokered by Pawar, there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

Agreement Is Incomplete

The agreement is, in fact, incomplete. It all began when Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena UBT struggled to reach a consensus on how to divide Maharashtra’s 288 assembly seats. To resolve the deadlock, Congress leaders sought Pawar’s guidance, holding a crucial meeting at the Y.B. Chavan Centre in South Mumbai. Pawar, the veteran mediator, quickly set to work, bringing together Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar (Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly), MPCC (Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee) President Nana Patole, and Congress group leader Balasaheb Thorat. In true Pawar fashion, the formula was unveiled, but the finer details were left hanging.

Speaking to the media, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut announced the tentative agreement—85 seats each for the major partners and a consensus on 270 seats. The remaining 18 seats, however, are still up for debate. Raut, accompanied by Patole (with whom he had recently clashed), assured the press, “We have amicably arrived at a consensus on 270 seats, and discussions on the remaining 18 will continue tomorrow. The MVA stands united in its mission to defeat the Mahayuti government.”

The seat-sharing breakdown also includes allocations for smaller parties within the alliance—such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), CPI(M), CPI, and AAP. Fifteen seats have been earmarked for these smaller players, though discussions over their final distribution continue. Despite the show of unity, tension lingers. Nana Patole, for instance, remains at odds with Shiv Sena UBT over Vidarbha’s constituencies, where the Sena UBT has tactfully avoided naming candidates to prevent further clashes. As always, Pawar’s balancing act between ally and adversary is apparent, as he navigates these undercurrents.

Wadettiwar On Discussions Over Potential Sweat-Swapping

Emerging from the latest meeting, Wadettiwar said discussions over potential seat-swapping were ongoing, with Congress’s high command set to decide on five disputed constituencies. When asked about the alleged tensions between Patole and Raut, Wadettiwar brushed off the speculation, urging the press not to fabricate issues that didn’t exist. The so-called 85-85-85 formula is far from a neat resolution. A number of constituencies remain problematic, particularly in Bhiwandi West, Versova, Colaba, and Nagpur South.

The MVA’s public front may appear united, but the real contest will be over the elusive 18 seats still up for grabs - if 15 seats are left for the alliance partners. Also, after the meeting, Nana Patole mentioned a formula of 85-85-85 for 270 seats, with the remaining 15 seats to be allocated to alliance partners. However, if the formula is set at 85-85-85, the total adds up to only 255 seats.

So, why did Nana Patole mention 270 seats? This raises the question of whether there is still an unresolved issue of a total of 33 seats within the MVA. It is expected that further meetings will be held in the next two days, during which a final decision on seat distribution for the Mahavikas Aghadi is hoped to be made. As always, Pawar might just make a few deft moves on Maharashtra’s political chessboard by quietly pulling the strings. Watch this space.