Maharashtra Congress tells party brass not to give in to UBT

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress has strongly conveyed to its leadership in Delhi to not be "pressurised" and allot its seats in Vidarbha to the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena faction for the assembly polls. This even as the Congress is also in talks with the NCP-SP as the latter has also demanded seats in Vidarbha from the former.

Congress leaders in Maharashtra have accused the Sena (UBT faction) of trying to "browbeat" it to get a better deal. "UBT Sena doesn't have a presence in the seats that it is asking for. Even when the Shiv Sena had not split and was in an alliance with the BJP, they never contested on some of the seats that they were demanding. But now they want to contest these seats simply because they are winnable seats for us," said a Congress leader.

The UBT faction had demanded 12 seats from Vidarbha where the Congress has historically done well. While initially Uddhav Thackeray had warned the Congress that the seat-sharing talks should not be stretched to a "breaking point", the UBT has backed down after sensing that the Congress would not relent much. The Maharashtra Congress leaders have pointed to its leadership that the UBT has not been seeking NCP-SP seats but has been trying to browbeat it into giving its winnable seats.

"We have asked for seats from the Congress in Vidarbha as the NCP-SP has a negligible presence there," said Sanjay Raut. The UBT Rajya Sabha MP, who just two days back was taking on the Congress, seemed to be a bit subdued today on the demand.

However, senior Congress leaders have expressed their confidence in sorting the differences over some seats with its ally. As the AICC screening committee and central election committee was being held on Monday, these leaders said the first Congress list of candidates will be announced on Tuesday.

Maintaining that allies trying to gain a maximum share during seat-sharing talks was natural in coalition arrangements, Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala said, "There are no serious differences in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. We are united. Talks are going on regarding the remaining seats and it will be resolved soon."

Maharashtra PCC president Nana Patole said the MVA allies are more united than the rival Mahayuti partners.

"We will declare the first list of candidates tomorrow (Tuesday). ...The issues on 30-40 seats within MVA will be resolved soon," he added.