MVA struggles to divide Lok Sabha seats; allies resist BJP offer

Tensions are running high among the political circles in Maharashtra as pulls and pressure can be seen all around in opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (UBT, Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP) as well as the BJP-led alliance over seat sharing with their allies for the Lok Sabha polls.

With no headway in talks, leaders have started criticising allies openly. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Sunday slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena for unilaterally declaring Amol Kirtikar as its candidate from Mumbai North West constituency. Nirupam, who is said to have been keen to contest from the same seat, said that the UBT declaring its candidate was meant to humiliate the Congress. "I have come to know from our leaders present during the seat sharing talks that there are still 8 to 9 seats that are pending and one of them is the North West seat, so how did the Sena declare a candidate?" asked Nirupam.

Similar issues seem to be cropping up in the BJP-led alliance in the state as the saffron party has claimed several seats that have MPs of the Shiv Sena (Shinde).


Chief minister Eknath Shinde is under tremendous pressure not to give away these seats to the BJP.

MPs from Ramtek, Yavatmal-Washim, Kolhapur have been pressurising Shinde to not allow the seats to go to the BJP. Significantly, it's not just the BJP but even the Ajit Pawar-led NCP also that is laying claim to seats lying with the Shinde group.

Ajit wants Maval as well as Parbhani for itself, both seats that are currently represented by Shinde-led Sena MPs.

The BJP's allies are scheduled to meet with the senior BJP leadership in Delhi on Monday where the issues are likely to be resolved. "We are going to Delhi on Monday and a seat-sharing deal will likely be finalised and the three party's sentiments will be taken into account," said Ajit Pawar.