Seat-Sharing Arrangement Nears Completion for Maha Vikas Aghadi Ahead of Maharashtra Elections
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut announced on Wednesday, October 23, that the seat-sharing arrangement for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition is nearly finalized, with 99 percent of the work completed. Leaders from the three alliance parties are expected to reveal the finalized formula later today.
With elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly scheduled for November 20, and votes to be counted on November 23, urgency is high among the coalition partners. The MVA, which comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the NCP (SP), has been engaged in intense discussions to solidify their strategy.
Late Tuesday night, top leaders from the MVA convened to iron out the details of the seat-sharing arrangement. Following a temporary impasse in talks, senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat met with NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to facilitate the negotiations.
Raut expressed confidence in the Shiv Sena’s standing, stating, “Shiv Sena is an experienced player, so it has to hit a century. There are expectations that Sena should secure a significant number of seats and an overall victory.” He also indicated that the Shiv Sena could contest up to 100 seats in the elections.
While the MVA has yet to publish its candidate list, Raut confirmed that the coalition parties have already prepared A and B forms for their candidates. These forms indicate the party’s endorsement of a candidate and facilitate the allotment of election symbols.
Addressing the competition, Raut took a jab at the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with the BJP and MNS, which have released their initial candidate lists. He emphasized that the MVA’s focus is on forming a government, which necessitated thorough deliberations.
As the political landscape heats up, the Thackeray family continues to play a significant role. Amit Thackeray, son of MNS president Raj Thackeray, is set to make his electoral debut from the Mahim assembly seat. Meanwhile, Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, is expected to retain his position from the Worli seat with a larger margin.
The stage is set for a competitive election season in Maharashtra, with the MVA coalition poised to make a significant impact.
