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NDA Partners in Maharashtra Navigate Seat-Sharing Maze Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

Kalyani Jha
06 Mar, 2024

As the political chessboard in Maharashtra undergoes a complex rearrangement, speculations abound regarding the intricate seat-sharing formula being negotiated among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in the state. Led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Shiv Sena is rumoured to be allocated 13 seats, while the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is poised to secure six seats in this elaborate political equation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a pivotal player in the NDA coalition, is anticipated to field candidates on a substantial chunk of seats, with initial reports suggesting 29 seats, although a later update hinted at a potential increase to over 32 seats. This dynamic situation unfolded against the backdrop of a high-stakes late-night meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent Maharashtra visit on Tuesday.

Amidst murmurs of discontent and fervent negotiations, Shah engaged in crucial deliberations with key alliance leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as Shah also held a tête-à-tête with Chief Minister Shinde, signaling the gravity of the discussions at hand.

Maharashtra, with its formidable contingent of 48 Lok Sabha members, holds sway as one of the pivotal battleground states in the upcoming polls, second only to Uttar Pradesh in terms of parliamentary representation. Against the backdrop of the BJP's ambitious target of 370 seats and the NDA's aspiration to surpass the 400-mark, every seat allocation assumes heightened significance in the grand scheme of electoral strategy.

Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, a key architect of BJP's Maharashtra strategy, had earlier declared the party's intention to contest 26 out of the 48 seats in the state. However, he later emphasized the necessity of consensus-building through discussions with coalition allies to finalize the seat-sharing arrangement for the imminent Lok Sabha elections.

The Mahayuti Alliance, currently steering the political landscape in Maharashtra, comprises the Shiv Sena under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's leadership, BJP, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. This formidable coalition emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing a significant share of the state's parliamentary representation.

As the countdown to the Lok Sabha polls commences, all eyes remain riveted on the unfolding negotiations and deliberations within the NDA coalition, poised to shape the political contours of Maharashtra's electoral landscape in the months to come.