Maharashtra Assembly Polls: Balasaheb Thorat Meets Sharad Pawar Ahead of MVA Seat-Sharing Talks

Congress state legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat met with NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday ahead of a crucial meeting among the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut commented that Thorat, who had been in Delhi, met with Pawar in the morning. He mentioned that Thorat would subsequently visit Matoshree to join Uddhav Thackeray and other Shiv Sena leaders for further discussions with Congress representatives, emphasizing that everything is currently on track.

The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC), led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, met in Delhi yesterday to finalize candidates for the elections. Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of the Opposition, stated that a decision on all 288 seats for the MVA will be reached by this evening, highlighting ongoing discussions over six to seven contentious seats in Vidarbha.

Ramesh Chennithala, Congress’s election in-charge for Maharashtra, dismissed reports of discord among the INDIA alliance partners, asserting, “There are no differences in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. We are united, and discussions regarding seat allocation are ongoing.”

Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition MVA are ramping up preparations for the 288 Assembly seats. The ruling alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, with the BJP already announcing 99 candidates.

Voting in Maharashtra is set for November 20, with counting scheduled for November 23. In the previous assembly elections of 2019, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress gained 44 seats. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.