Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar announced Sunday that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition will finalise its seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections within the next 8 to 10 days. Speaking to party workers in Baramati, Pawar asserted the need for the opposition alliance to secure power in the state “at any cost.”
He criticised former party members, predicting that “not even a handful” of them would win in the elections. The assembly, with 288 seats, is expected to hold elections in mid-November.
Pawar noted that winnability will be the primary criterion for selecting candidates and highlighted the importance of flexibility within the coalition, which includes the NCP, Congress, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
He also acknowledged the necessity of supporting candidates from the other coalition partners and encouraged party workers to gather input on potential candidates.
Surveys are currently being conducted in each taluka to gauge local sentiments, he added.
Pawar also expressed optimism based on the NCP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the MVA won 30 out of 40 seats in Maharashtra. “Like in the Lok Sabha elections, I hope you will work hard for the assembly polls as well,” Pawar urged his supporters.