21 March,2024 02:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Devendra Fadnavis/ File Photo
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ridiculed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday for the delay in reaching a decision on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Fadnavis remarked that while the MVA leaders have been holding meetings for over two months without any conclusion, the BJP managed to finalize 80 per cent of the decisions in just one meeting, reported ANI.
"They (Maha Vikas Aghadi) have been having meetings for two and a half months but they haven't reached a decision yet. We made 80 per cent of the decisions in just one meeting. We will decide the remaining 20 per cent in the second meeting," Fadnavis told reporters.
Meanwhile, MVA leaders began gathering at Sharad Pawar's home for a meeting that included Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Jitendra Awhad, Jayant Patil, Anil Deshmukh, and Sanjay Raut.
According to the report, earlier, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole declared that candidates had been chosen for 12 seats. He further stated that a meeting with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar would be scheduled to finalise the remaining seats.
"We have discussed at least 18-19 seats of Maharashtra, we have finalized at least 12 seats and on Thursday morning we have a meeting with Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. Final discussions will be held and all seats will be announced by Thursday or Friday," Nana Patole was quoted as saying in the ANI report.
Despite multiple discussions between alliance partners, the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Congress, Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), has yet to explain its seat-sharing arrangement, the report added.
The Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra will be held in five phases for 48 constituencies, beginning on April 19 and finishing on June 1. Vote counting will be held on June 4.
Raj Thackeray to join Mahayuti?
Raj Thackeray on Thursday met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at a Bandra hotel days after he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
Meanwhile, reports have suggested that the ruling Mahayuti partners in Maharashtra - BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP - are scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to discuss the seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will lead the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP delegations respectively for the meeting with Amit Shah.
