Maharashtra polls: MVA will decide seat sharing pact in 10 days, says Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said discussions on seat-sharing with the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) for the Maharashtra assembly elections are in the final stage and are likely to be resolved in the next 10 days.

Speaking in Baramati, Pawar said the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will form the next government in the state as the parties are encouraged by their success in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

“Leaders from all three parties are holding discussions on the seat sharing formula. We are hoping that it will be finalised in the next 10 days after which our leaders will start a poll campaign by going to the people and explaining our stand on various issues,” he said.

“In 2019, when the Lok Sabha elections were held, the Congress won one seat and NCP (before it split in 2022) won four seats in the state. But this time, the MVA coalition has secured victory in 30 seats. The poll results indicate that the people are eager for change. They want to sideline the BJP and its allies,” the veteran leader said, exuding confidence that the MVA would return to power in the state polls.

In the Lok Sabha polls this year, the Congress won 13 of the 48 seats. The Sena (UBT) won nine and NCP (SP), eight. The ruling Mahayuti, which includes the BJP, managed to bag only 17.

Pawar’s remarks came days after the MVA held a second round of discussions on seat-sharing for the assembly elections but failed to reach a consensus, prompting the alliance to consider conducting a survey to assess the electoral prospects of the party members on seats they are vying for, people aware of the details said.

According to the people cited above, both the Congress and Sena (UBT) are insisting on fighting on 100 seats while the NCP (SP) has demanded 90 seats. There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly.

Pawar also expressed displeasure over Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s remark that his party would contest from Shrigonda assembly constituency in Ahmednagar. “No one has the right to declare candidature from a particular seat,” he said. Raut was quick to respond to Pawar’s remarks saying, “Pawar was given incorrect information about my statement over the Shrigonda assembly seat and there is no dispute in the MVA coalition.”

In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, the Sena (UBT) had unilaterally declared candidates on two seats – Sangli and Mumbai South Central. The Congress had expressed dissatisfaction over the announcement because the party wanted to contest on the two seats.

On Thursday, senior Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said he was “100% confident” that the MVA will form the next government in the state and the chief minister will be from his party, even as his allies earlier said that a decision on the top post will be taken after the elections.