seat-sharing-talks-stall-as-mva-allies-meet-sharad-pawar

Amid a deadlock within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over seat-sharing for the Maharashtra assembly polls, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders met with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar to discuss potential agreements. 

 

Sources from the MVA indicated that a consensus on seat distribution is expected to be reached within a day or two.

 

The elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are scheduled for November 20, with the nomination process commencing on October 22. 

 

Disagreements among the MVA allies regarding certain constituencies have escalated into a verbal conflict between Congress state chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, leading Uddhav Thackeray to urge parties to avoid pushing tensions to a breaking point.

 

On Sunday, Sharad Pawar remained at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai, where he was visited by Congress leader Naseem Khan, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Anil Parab, and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh. 

 

Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra were in Delhi for a central election committee meeting.

 

Discussions among the MVA allies are focusing on 10 to 12 contested seats to determine which party can field the strongest candidate. 

 

Naseem Khan mentioned that negotiations for a consensus on the remaining 10 per cent of the seats are ongoing. "Since Sharad Pawar is the architect of MVA, we met him to hold talks," Khan stated.

 

In a separate development, former MLC and Janata Dal (United) leader Kapil Patil joined Congress in Delhi. 

 

Following the BJP’s announcement of its first list of 99 candidates, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto remarked that the saffron party has nominated political dynasts, asserting that those who believed the BJP eschewed dynastic politics would be embarrassed by the list.

 

Among the BJP's candidates are Sreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who will contest from Bhokar, a constituency previously held by her father, and Nitesh Rane, son of former Union Minister Narayan Rane, running from Kankavli.

 

 The BJP has also renominated Santosh Danve, the sitting MLA from Bhokardan and son of former Union Minister Raosaheb Danve.