With only a month left before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are racing to finalize and announce their seat-sharing agreements. The electoral dynamics between the two coalitions are becoming increasingly competitive, as they work to position themselves ahead of the polls.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis recently stated that the seat-sharing discussions within the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are in their final stages.
“Yesterday, we cleared most of the problematic seats through positive discussions. In the next two days, we will finalize the remaining seats,” Fadnavis said. He further noted that the BJP’s internal processes, such as consultations with the Election Committee and the Parliamentary Board, are nearly complete, and the alliance’s first list of candidates could be released at any time.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also confirmed that discussions on seat-sharing were held with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “We had positive discussions, and the seat-sharing formula is almost finalized. We will announce the details soon,” Shinde said.
According to sources, the seat-sharing arrangement for the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly has been largely agreed upon in meetings held in New Delhi. A BJP leader expressed optimism, stating that the Mahayuti alliance is in a much stronger position than it was during the recent Lok Sabha elections.
The leader pointed out that the opposition’s earlier “fake narrative” about a supposed change in the Constitution had been debunked, and the results of the Haryana assembly polls, where the BJP performed well, have given the Mahayuti a boost going into the Maharashtra elections. Additionally, steps taken by the government to address the Maratha community’s demand for reservation have likely improved the coalition’s chances of securing votes from this influential demographic.
MVA in Seat-Sharing Talks
On the other side of the political spectrum, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar-led NCP — is also working to finalize its seat-sharing formula.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who is the party’s in-charge for Maharashtra, stated on Saturday that seat-sharing talks within the MVA are progressing and an announcement will be made soon. “Seat-sharing meetings are continuously taking place, and we will soon make the details public,” Chennithala said.
However, some tensions have reportedly emerged between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over seat allocation. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole took a veiled swipe at Sanjay Raut, a senior leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), suggesting that internal dynamics within the Sena were their own concern. Patole emphasized that his party leaders, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, would ultimately have the final say in seat-sharing negotiations on the Congress side.
“Sanjay Raut is the leader of Uddhav Thackeray. Our leaders are Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, and the leader of the NCP is Sharad Pawar. The seat-sharing committee has been formed based on the directions of these leaders,” Patole clarified.
On Saturday, Chennithala also met with Uddhav Thackeray, who had recently been hospitalized. Following their meeting, Chennithala remarked, “Uddhav Thackeray is recovering well, and the health of the Maha Vikas Aghadi is also improving.”
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Allegations of Electoral Manipulation
The MVA has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the voter list ahead of the elections. Nana Patole and Sanjay Raut both accused the Mahayuti government of manipulating voter registration. Raut claimed that the ruling coalition was attempting to include “bogus voters” in the electoral rolls to gain an unfair advantage.
“As Sanjay Raut said, the Mahayuti government, fearing a loss, is removing the names of legitimate voters and adding fake ones. We have written to the Election Commission to address this,” Patole told reporters. He further revealed that an MVA delegation had met with Maharashtra’s chief electoral officer to raise these concerns.
Raut echoed these sentiments, accusing the ruling coalition of trying to undermine the fairness of the election through voter list manipulation.
The Road Ahead
Maharashtra is set to go to the polls on November 20, with the results to be declared on November 23. Both the Mahayuti alliance and the MVA are scrambling to finalize their seat-sharing arrangements and shore up support before the crucial election.
As the election draws nearer, both coalitions are expected to intensify their campaigns, with seat-sharing announcements from both sides likely to significantly impact the trajectory of the electoral contest.
