The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, the allies of which are also part of the INDIA alliance, has reached a seat-sharing deal for the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats ahead of the upcoming elections.
The Shiv Sena faction led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been given 21 seats. The Congress will get 17 and the remaining 10 seats will go to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) group led by Sharad Pawar, ANI reported.
Also Read: INDIA bloc seals seat-sharing pact in Bihar: RJD gets Purnea with 25 other LS seats, Congress 9
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has retained the contentious seat of Sangli. The Congress and Sena were at loggerheads after Uddhav Thackeray went to Sangli and announced the candidature of Chandrahar Patil. The Congress had immediately opposed the decision, arguing that Sangli had been the party’s traditional bastion and it had two MLAs in the constituency, while the Sena had none. It announced the name of Vishal Patil, the grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil.
The Sena, on the other hand, contended that it had parted with Kolhapur and Ramtek Lok Sabha seats and therefore wanted to gain at least the Sangli seat in return for the two.
Also Read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Seat-sharing deal in Delhi finalised, AAP to contest 4 seats, Congress 3
After weeks of push and pull, the Thackeray faction has clinched the Sangli seat and have decided to field, Chandrahar Patil, a wrestler who belongs to Shiv Sena (UBT).
In return, Congress has got the Mumbai North seat, which is traditionally retained by the Shiv Sena. The Bhiwandi seat will also be contested by an NCP candidate.
Thackeray’s Sena will also contest four of Mumbai’s six seats – North West, South Central, South, and South East seats. The Congress will contest the other two – North and North Central.