A crucial meeting regarding the NDA alliance for Maharashtra assembly elections was held at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence. The meeting on Friday lasted until around 2 AM and was attended by key figures including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The three parties had previously reached a consensus on 240 seats, but discussions were ongoing for the remaining 48 seats where alignment had been challenging.
Sources indicate that the late-night meeting, lasting nearly four hours, resulted in agreements on the seat-sharing formula and candidate placements. An official announcement is expected soon, likely through a joint press conference by the alliance.
Additionally, the parties agreed to swap seats to address anti-incumbency issues, ensuring a strategic approach to their campaigns. Earlier on October 15, Sena MP and Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde called on party workers to take the message of the Sena to all quarters.
“It’s just a question of working for one month, we want a Mahayuti government again in Maharashtra. We just need to go to the people and make them aware of the government schemes. Today the environment in the state is very goo. No matter how much the opposition may abuse him, the people have great love for Eknath Shinde. Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth will not know the problems of the people. Ours is a government that give and does not take,” he said.
After the recent announcement of the assembly election dates in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena convened a meeting with its office bearers on Friday. In the meeting, there was a strong push for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to be presented as the face for the chief ministerial position, a move that signals the party’s strategy as it prepares for the upcoming elections.
According to a source, the BJP is expected to contest around 150-160 seats, while Shiv Sena will likely contest 75-85 seats, and the NCP is poised to run in approximately 48-55 constituencies.
The alliance is set to reveal detailed seat-sharing information in a press conference shortly.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)