Maharashtra: MVA Leadership to Resolve Final Seat-Sharing Deadlock

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance—comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction)—is nearing finalization of a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, according to a report by The Hindu on Monday. Interestingly, the alliance has decided not to project a Chief Ministerial candidate for the elections. Out of the 288 Assembly constituencies, the parties have reportedly reached consensus on over 240 seats.

A senior leader involved in the negotiations revealed that discussions on seats in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions were a primary focus, with agreement being reached on more than 120 seats. “We are taking a seat-by-seat approach,” the leader explained. Additionally, the talks included deliberations on smaller parties like the Republican Party splinters, the Left parties, and the Samajwadi Party, which have requested over 40 seats. “These are long-standing alliances, and we accommodated them during the Lok Sabha elections as well. We want to maintain this cooperation,” a senior leader remarked.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole expressed optimism about the progress of the discussions, describing Monday’s talks as “positive.” Negotiations concerning seats in Marathwada and Vidarbha have advanced, with all three parties laying claim to some constituencies. A stalemate over several seats last week was partially resolved during the latest round of discussions.

The Congress is particularly keen on contesting key seats in Vidarbha, based on recent electoral performance, but both Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have also expressed interest in these seats, creating differences. Disagreements over seats in Marathwada persist as well. Any unresolved seat allocations will ultimately be decided by the top leadership of the three parties. Currently, the discussions are being handled by state presidents and key leaders from each party.