New Delhi: The Mahayuti alliance’s meeting in New Delhi marked a critical moment for Maharashtra’s upcoming elections. In this high-stakes discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the alliance partners—BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and Ajit Pawar’s NCP—hashed out a seat-sharing agreement.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde strongly pushed for his party’s larger share, citing its solid performance in the Lok Sabha polls despite contesting fewer seats than BJP. He demanded over 100 seats, though BJP settled on offering 70-80. Shinde also argued for merit-based allocation, urging the alliance to avoid past mistakes, where a survey had cost Shiv Sena some seats. The BJP, however, will contest the majority with around 151 seats.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, with 40 sitting MLAs, sought 55-60 seats, asserting its growing influence, particularly in areas where it has expanded its base. The NCP emphasized that a poor seat allocation would risk defections to Sharad Pawar’s rival faction. Pawar expressed concerns over the impact a limited number of seats would have on his cadre’s morale, warning that it might weaken the alliance.
Both Shinde and Pawar stressed the need to finalize this agreement swiftly to avoid delays in candidate selection. With Maharashtra polls approaching in November, this seat-sharing pact solidifies the alliance’s election strategy, though internal dissatisfaction persists.
