The battle for Maharashtra assembly elections has officially begun with ruling Alliance Mahayuti, comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, eyeing to retain the power. While the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress, eyeing to secure a majority and throw the present government.
In a two-day visit to Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held meetings and talks with alliance partners on seat-sharing agreements. As per reports, the tentative seat allocation has been that the BJP is set to contest on around 155 seats, the Shiv Sena gets 85-90, and the NCP gets around 45. The final agreement is expected to be announced soon.
High–Level Meet
Amit shah held a high-level meeting on September 25 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, with top leaders including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar.
Chief Minister Shinde said, “The meeting was positive and a decision will be taken soon. Talks are moving ahead positively with co-ordination.”
The meeting also focused on specific areas like Vidarbha, Marathwada, western Maharashtra, and northern Maharashtra, which have been the weak point for BJP, failing to secure any seats from this region, largely due to the ongoing Maratha quota controversy.
Amit Shah’s visit was also significant as he strategized with alliance members to counter the growing popularity for NCP head Sharad Pawar, who is influential in the western maharashtra region. Moreover, Prakash Awade from Kolhapur’s Ichalkaranji joined the BJP during Shah’s visit.
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Seat allocation in 2019 Assembly election
In 2019, the BJP contested 164 seats. However, this time, the party will allot some of its constituencies to its allies to strengthen the ruling alliance. “We have sacrificed some of our seats for the greater good of the alliance, and we expect our partners to do the same,” a BJP leader commented,
The alliance partners are expected to release their first list of candidates in early October, as elections are scheduled for November 2024.
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