With the Maharashtra elections date out, the ruling Mahayuti and opposition Maha Vikash Aghadi alliances are in talks to finalize their seat-sharing plan. The Mahayuti includes BJP, Shiv Sena-Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar. On the other hand, the Maha Vikash Aghadi comprises Shiv Sena-UBT, NCP-Sharad Chandra Pawar, and Congress. Notably, it’s the first assembly election where both the factions of the NCP and Shiv Sena are heading to the polls after the split. The 288 assembly seats of the Maharashtra assembly will go to the polls on November 20 and the counting of votes will take place on November 23.
The Mahayuti alliance is making a united show when it comes to the Chief Ministerial face. When Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was asked about the CM’s face of the Mahayuti alliance, Fadnavis hinted towards Eknath Shinde, who was sitting there with him. The only issue that Mahayuti is facing is related to seat sharing. While the BJP wants to contest 150 seats, the Shinde Sena is also willing to contest around 100 seats. This is leaving just a meagre space for the NCP-Ajit Pawar and thus, the parties are discussing a possible permutation and combination beneficial for all. BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankulea on Thursday said that all three parties are willing to take a step back if the other has a high winning probability. “This is not a number game, we will contest in the elections from the seats we can win,” said Bawankulea.
Uddhav Thackeray, a member of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, has been asking the NCP and Congress to finalize the alliance’s Chief Ministerial face. Shiv Sena-UBT leader Kishore Tiwari said Uddhav Thackeray would be the MVA’s CM candidate. On the other hand, the NCP-Sharad Pawar and Congress have maintained that the party with more MLAs will get the CM post. They also questioned the Sena-UBT’s winning credentials without alliance partners. There are indications that NCP-Sharad Pawar and Congress may bag the lion’s share of seats out of the total 288 legislative constituencies, reducing the Sena-UBT to a minor partner in the alliance.
The ambiguity surrounding the chief ministerial candidate and the unresolved seat-sharing arrangement has left Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of the Shiv Sena at a critical juncture. It finds itself not only sidelined but also compelled to critically reassess its political trajectory and future direction. Uddhav Thackeray parted ways with the BJP-led NDA to secure the Chief Minister’s position. If he fails to reclaim the CM post within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after this year’s assembly election, it could further undermine his credibility and weaken his political standing.
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