Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance of opposition parties in Maharashtra, has finalised its seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming state Assembly elections, according to reports. Congress is reportedly said to contest the maximum number of seats, given their performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
The agreement outlines that the Congress will contest 104 seats, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) will field candidates in 96 seats, and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) will compete for 88 constituencies. Smaller partners, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), will be allotted seats from these totals, according to an India Today report citing sources.
Vidarbha, A Bone Of Contention For MVA Allies
There had been some initial disagreements, particularly over seat distribution in the Vidarbha region. However, the alliance has now reached a consensus. According to the report, the Congress will contest key seats in Nagpur West, Kamthi, Gondiya and Bhandara. The Shiv Sena (UBT) will be fielding candidates in 11 constituencies, including Vani and Ramtetk, while the NCP-SP will contest 11 to 12 seats in the region.
The MVA, which formed after the 2019 state elections, aims to challenge the ruling Mahayuti alliance. This alliance comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the MVA performed strongly, securing 30 seats compared to the Mahayuti's 17. The Congress won 13 out of the 17 seats it contested, while Shiv Sena (UBT) won 9 out of 21. This success has given the MVA hope of replicating its performance in the state Assembly elections.
Internal Disputes Resolved After Marathon Meetings
Internal disputes over seat distribution had emerged within the MVA, with leaders like Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut and Congress's Nana Patole exchanging criticisms. To resolve these conflicts, the MVA leadership held a nine-hour-long meeting at the Trident Hotel in South Mumbai. Later, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders sought the intervention of NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, who helped mediate and settle the differences.
The election for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly is set to take place in a single phase on November 20, with the results to be declared on November 23.
