Mumbai : In a twist of events, Devendra Fadnavis, a key figure in Maharashtra politics and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has announced that the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state is yet to be finalized. Days after proclaiming that the BJP would contest 26 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Fadnavis stated on Monday that the final decision on the allocation would be made after discussions with the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar.
Fadnavis emphasized that seats won by alliance partners in previous elections should remain with them, but he also acknowledged the need for necessary changes, especially concerning seat swapping. He outlined the logic that the seats should go to the parties that have previously contested in those specific constituencies.
In 2019, the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena had contested 25 and 23 seats, respectively. The NCP, an alliance partner of the Congress, contested 19 seats and won four, while the Shiv Sena secured victory in 18 seats. However, since then, 13 MPs from the Shiv Sena have aligned with Eknath Shinde.
Sources reveal that the Shiv Sena is pushing for at least 18 seats it won in 2019, while the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, is reluctant to agree to contest fewer seats than the Eknath Shinde-led party.
Ajit Pawar has hinted at seat-sharing talks within the ‘Mahayuti’ (grand alliance) of BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, after the results of five state Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Telangana.
Fadnavis assured that the seat-sharing formula would be flexible, stating, “We will make necessary changes and discuss with the alliance partners,” indicating ongoing deliberations within the political landscape of Maharashtra.
