Seat-sharing talks among MahaYuti partners remain inconclusive in Maharashtra

Mumbai : Despite three rounds of talks among the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, the MahaYuti alliance partners are struggling to arrive at a consensus over the seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

MahaYuti sources said that the next meeting is likely on March 11 as there is every possibility that the Election Commission of India may announce the Lok Sabha poll by March 15.

NCP insiders admitted that the meeting that took place on late Friday night between Home Minister Amit Shah and Ajit Pawar, who was accompanied by Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, remained inconclusive as the party is stuck to its demand for 9 to 10 seats.

However, NCP insiders, who are privy to Friday’s talks, said the party may get only three seats — Baramati, Shirur and Raigad (won by united NCP in 2019 general elections) while the BJP has offered Dindori and Gadchiroli seats to NCP with a rider that its nominees will have to contest on the Lotus symbol.

Incidentally, Ajit Pawar is not reportedly happy with BJP’s offer as he strongly feels that the party may get its due share in the seat-sharing arrangement. Besides, few party leaders argue that if BJP gives three or five seats, it will demoralise the cadres as it may find the party difficult to convince them to vote for the candidates of BJP or Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the absence of NCP candidate.

There has been no official comment from BJP and NCP on seat-sharing talks. Though few leaders from both the parties hope for a consensus as ultimately winning maximum seats in Maharashtra will be crucial to see Narendra Modi becoming Prime Minister for the third time.

Meanwhile, talks for seat-sharing between BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have remained incomplete and they are expected to meet again on March 11. Shiv Sena Minister Shamburaj Desai said that the party is insisting for 22 seats while party MP Gajanan Kirtikar claimed that the party should not succumb to the BJP’s pressure and settle below 22 seats (united Shiv Sena had fought 22 seats and won 18 seats in 2019 elections).

Shiv Sena sources hinted that the party may have to settle at a single digit or maximum at 12 seats.

BJP has sought the cooperation from Shinde and Pawar as the party wants the partners to fight the coming Lok Sabha elections with unity in order to win 45-plus seats in Maharashtra. The party, which had won 23 seats in an alliance with united Shiv Sena in 2019 elections, is keen to field its candidates on 32 to 36 seats by riding on the Modi wave. However, the party sees difficulty in transfer of votes from Shiv Sena and NCP if it leaves more seats to them.