Mahayuti works out seat formula for Maharashtra, barring Mumbai
3 main partners in alliance were in dispute over 9 seats in the state; stalemate resolved for 7 of them
MUMBAI: After a series of marathon meetings between the ruling alliance’s three constituents to work out a solution to disputed constituencies, the sharing of seats for Maharashtra, barring Mumbai, has almost been finalised. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly been conceded Thane and Aurangabad while the BJP has been given Satara, Palghar and Ratnagiri-sindhudurg. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP will contest Nashik and Osmanabad.
The ruling alliance had differences over at least nine seats, as more than two of the three allies had staked a claim on them. The combine has resolved the stalemate on seven of these, barring the seats in Mumbai which will go to the polls in the last phase on May 20.
Satara, which was claimed by both the NCP and the BJP, has now reportedly been allotted to the latter, with the party’s sitting Rajya Sabha MP Udayanraje Bhosale expected to be the candidate. Aurangabad, which was claimed by both the BJP and Shinde’s Sena, has been conceded to the Sena, which is expected to field state minister Sandipan Bhumare. Along with Kalyan, where Shrikant Shinde, son of chief minister Eknath Shinde, is likely to be the candidate, the Sena will contest Thane. The party’s sitting MLA Pratap Sarnaik or former Thane mayor Naresh Maske are among the probable candidates. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has renominated its sitting MP Rajan Vichare from Thane.
The Shinde Sena and BJP had both staked a claim on Ratnagiri-sindhudurg. It will now go to the BJP, with union minister Narayan Rane as the likely candidate.
Amid the tussle between the Sena and BJP over the Palghar seat, the alliance has decided to concede it to the BJP. The party is expected to renominate sitting MP Rajendra Gavit, who crossed over to the BJP from the Shiv Sena as a mutual understanding between the two parties in 2019. Shinde Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said, “In the swapping, Palghar may go to the BJP. But we have staked our claim on Thane, Nashik, Sambhajinagar and RatnagiriSindhudurg.”
CM Eknath Shinde had a meeting with his senior colleagues early on Monday morning to discuss many seats. Amid the opposition to several candidates from within the party and the allies, the Shinde-led Sena may think of changing its official candidates from Hingoli (Hemant Patil) and Hatkanagale (Dhairyasheel Mane). Shirsat confirmed this without naming the candidates.
Deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that the Mahayuti constituents had reached a consensus on almost all the seats. “We have already finalised the seats for the first two phases; the decision for the remaining phases will soon be announced,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address ten rallies in Maharashtra, beginning with a rally in Ramtek on April 10. Ramtek is going to the polls on April 19. Modi is expected to address a rally in Chandrapur on April 14 for BJP candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar. Although the BJP has not confirmed the number of rallies by Modi, state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced two for the first phase.
During his Mumbai visit on Monday, Modi held a brief meeting with the BJP’S state leaders, including Fadnavis and Bawankule, on the disputes on seat-sharing and candidates. The leaders are said to have discussed the proposed alliance with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and finalising candidates and constituencies for Mumbai. The BJP has disputes on the Mumbai South and Mumbai North West seats, and has not been able to finalise its candidate for Mumbai North Central.