Maharashtra:MVA finalises seat-sharing for Assembly polls

In  Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) finalised its seat-sharing formula for the upcoming assembly elections late on Tuesday. As per sources, the Congress would contest 105 seats, the Shiv Sena (UBT) 95 and the NCP (SP) 84 seats. The remaining four seats will be given to the smaller allies of the coalition, reportedly to ensure that they remain part of the alliance. The seat-sharing talks, which had stretched on for a momth, formally resumed between the three parties on Monday after senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, who was appointed as a mediator, met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at their respective residences. The Congress leadership wanted to ease the tension that had built up during the hectic parleys which did not end on a positive note, leading to a trading of barbs between Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders last week.“There is no dispute among us. All three parties have strong candidates and hence are pressing their claims,” Thorat emphasised, hinting that the alliance partners had ironed out their differences on most of the seats.
The MVA alliance, formed after the 2019 state elections, is hoping to defeat the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.The election for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly is scheduled to take place in a single phase on November 20, with the results to be declared on November 23.