MUMBAI — The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance appears to be on the verge of finalizing its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming assembly elections, following key concessions from the Congress party. Sources indicate the alliance is likely to announce distributions for 240 assembly seats on Tuesday.
In a significant breakthrough, the Congress has agreed to cede the Vandre East and Ghatkopar West seats in Mumbai to the Shiv Sena (UBT), along with two additional seats in Vidarbha. This development has reduced the number of disputed seats from 30 to 25, with only Byculla and Versova remaining as points of contention in Mumbai.
"We have conceded two seats each from Mumbai and Vidarbha, as we don't want this to be stretched further," said a senior Congress leader. The decision to surrender Vandre East was reportedly influenced by Shiv Sena (UBT)'s desire to field Varun Sardesai, nephew of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Progress in Negotiations
The breakthrough came after informal discussions between senior leaders of the three parties, with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar playing a crucial mediating role. State Congress president Nana Patole confirmed that the party's screening committee has cleared candidates for 96 seats, with final discussions scheduled for Tuesday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed optimism, noting that candidates for 210 of 288 seats were undisputed. "210 is a large number, and our talks will lead to a resolution for the remaining seats," he stated.
Mumbai Seat Distribution
In Mumbai, which accounts for 36 seats, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has agreed to a revised arrangement. "We will contest Vandre East and Byculla and have decided to give two seats to the Congress," revealed a Sena (UBT) leader. "The Congress will get Colaba in place of Byculla. We will come down to 18 seats and concede 15 to 16 seats to the Congress, with the remainder going to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Samajwadi Party."
Interestingly, several constituencies including Mulund, Malabar Hill, Borivali, and Vile Parle have found no takers within the MVA coalition.
Outstanding Challenges
Despite progress, some disputes remain between Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP, particularly in western Maharashtra and Marathwada. Contested seats include:
- Patan in Satara
- Khanapur
- Chinchwad
- Sangola in Solapur
- Anushakti Nagar
- Kurla
- Basmath
- Kinwat
- Jintoor
Path Forward
The Congress has appointed senior leader Balasaheb Thorat as its chief negotiator for Tuesday's crucial meetings with Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. A MVA insider emphasized the importance of presenting a united front: "The leaders recognize the need for damage control after public disagreements. A joint announcement of the seat-sharing formula would send a positive message to the people."
Responding to media speculation about potential BJP reconciliation, Raut firmly dismissed such reports as "planted stories," stating, "We cannot join hands with those who have crushed the self-respect of Maharashtra. Reconciliation with the BJP is like joining hands with Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan."
