With close to a month before the much-anticipated high-voltage electoral contest in Maharashtra, reports quoting sources point to a widening rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners. Shiv Sena UBT has reportedly refused to hold seat-sharing discussions with Congress state president Nana Patole, an indication that things are not well for the MVA alliance.
A day after the Maha Vikas Alliance (MVA), comprising of Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena UBT, claimed that a consensus had been reached on 260 of the 288 Assembly constituencies, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut refuted it by saying that agreement had reached only on 200 seats and took a swipe at the Congress leader Nana Patole, without naming him, stating that Congress leaders in Maharashtra were incapable of taking decisions.
Congress’ alliance partners have increased pressure on the party following its humiliating loss in the Haryana Assembly elections, a result that defied predictions from election experts and political analysts, who had anticipated a decisive win for Congress. In light of the Haryana outcome, each alliance member appears to be pushing for a greater share of seats and engaging in tough negotiations with Congress.
To this end, Raut tried to pressurise the Congress party over the seat-sharing formula, stating that little time was left to finalise the decision. He said he had spoken to Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik, and Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, and was planning to discuss matters with Rahul Gandhi.
According to him, Maharashtra Congress leaders were unable to make decisions independently, requiring frequent consultations with the central leadership in Delhi. He stressed that the seat-sharing decision must be made soon.
But the latest report by NDTV reveals the source of contention between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress was seat distribution in Vidarbha, a large region in eastern Maharashtra where Congress has historically done well and was buoyed by its strong performance in the Lok Sabha in which it won 13 out of 48 seats. The report states Shiv Sena (UBT) wanted to contest more seats in Vidarbha, a move opposed by Congress leader Nana Patole, who hails from the same region.
To resolve the issue, Ramesh Chennithala is expected to meet Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai. While it remains uncertain how Shiv Sena (UBT)’s decision will impact the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, sources indicated that the dispute could weaken the coalition in its contest against the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
The opposition alliance, which performed well in the Lok Sabha elections by winning 30 constituencies in Maharashtra, had been considered in a strong position. However, the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction)-NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) coalition has gained momentum following the BJP’s best-ever performance in Haryana, despite facing anti-incumbency after two consecutive terms.
Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.
