Maharashtra Election 2024: MVA seat-sharing talks hit stalemate? Uddhav Sena wants Congress chief Nana Patole out

Maharashtra Elections 2024: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has claimed to have reached a consensus on seat-sharing for 260 of the 280 assembly seats, yet the remaining 28 seats have reportedly become a bone of contention with the Opposition alliance ahead of November 20 assembly polls.

Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has threatened to not participate in the talks if Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole attends them. Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala will rush to Mumbai on Saturday to resolve the stalemate.

“There is very little time on hand and the decisions on seat-sharing must be expedited. I think state leaders are not capable of taking any decision on seat-sharing and they have to send a list of everything to Delhi. It is important that the discussion should take place with the central leadership of the Congress,” Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena (UBT) said on Friday

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) is fighting against the ruling Shinde led Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and NCP’s Mahayuti alliance.

Congress’ Patole wanst 125 seats

The Sena (UBT) is learnt to have proposed a formula of 100 seats for the Congress and Sena-UBT each, and 88 for the NCP (SP). Patole, the reports said, however, has refused to climb down from 125 seats for the Congress, and is not ready to share seats in Vidarbha with the Sena (UBT).

Sanjay Raut also said that while there is ‘no major difference’ of opinion between NCP and Shiv Sena, not even in Congress, there were still some seats which all the three allies wanted to claim.

Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 marks the first polls in the state after the Shiv Sena and NCP parties split in June 2022 and July 2023 respectively.

There is very little time on hand and the decisions on seat-sharing must be expedited.

Congress chief Nana Patole said all leaders of the three MVA parties report to their respective leaderships on seat-sharing talks. “We have a CEC (Central Election Committee) meeting on October 20 where the final decision will be taken. There is no confusion among us or no dispute within the MVA. I don’t know in what context Raut made the statement,” Patole was quoted as saying in Indian Express.