Lok Sabha elections 2024: Mahayuti in no hurry to lock seat sharing

(From left) Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Ajit Pawar at an earlier press meet. File pic/Satej Shinde

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has announced its much-delayed seat-sharing formula, but the National Democratic Front (NDA) seems to be in no big hurry to replicate its close rivals, even after the possibility of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) taking the electoral field has died down.

If Maharashtra has seen MVA partners haggle over seats in the past one month, the NDA has provided enough entertainment for its rivals and dumped anxiety on the stakeholders. Previously, the BJP was accused of influencing the Shinde Sena leadership to drop its sitting MPs and also concede seats. As of now, the ruling alliance has not sorted issues over Thane, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Nashik, Palghar, Sambhaji Nagar (Formerly Aurangabad) and some seats in Mumbai, where the sharing formula is expected to be tweaked in the BJP's favour if the Shinde Sena doesn't get suitable candidates.

Mumbai matters

Mumbai's South seat was offered to MNS on the condition that it should take Shinde Sena's election symbol ‘bow and arrow'. Raj Thackeray rejected the offer, saying MNS would contest only his party's official symbol ‘railway engine' because he had earned it. The MNS chief confirmed the development on Tuesday while addressing his party workers at the Gudi Padva rally at the Shivaji Park. Henceforth, it is to be seen who among the saffron allies - BJP and Shinde Sena - contests Mumbai South. Both have their candidates shortlisted. It is said that, given a chance, BJP's Rahul Narwekar/Mangalprabhat Lodha and Shinde Sena's Milind Deora are ready to face Sena (UBT)'s incumbent Arvind Sawant.

(From left) DCM Devendra Fadnavis, CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Ajit Pawar. File pic/Satej Shinde

In the suburbs, the BJP and Shinde Sena have not reached an agreement over Mumbai North West where sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar's son Amol Kirtikar is Shiv Sena (UBT)'s candidate. Gajanan Kirtikar is with the Shinde faction, but he doesn't want to rival his son. Suitable replacements are being examined by Shinde Sena. Matters here are not as simple as that because the BJP too is very keen to contest here. It is most likely to field-sitting MLA Amit Satam.

In an undisputed Mumbai South Central, Shinde Sena has repeated MP Rahul Shewale. He meets rival Sena's Anil Desai.

City's another segment, Mumbai North Central is dogged by issues within the BJP. If it had been decided, the party would have declared incumbent MP Poonam Mahajan's candidacy along with Piyush Goyal (North) and Mihir Kotecha (North East) nearly a month ago. City BJP president and Bandra (West) MLA, Ashish Shelar, is learnt to have gotten rid of reluctance to contest here. His name would be finalised if he agrees wholeheartedly to take the field.

Race for Thane

Beyond city limits, Shinde Sena and BJP have strained ties over Thane. The BJP has been planning a big way to expand its footprint in Thane city and district. It inaugurated a massive party office in Thane on Tuesday. DCM Devendra Fadnavis told the party leaders and workers that Thane was very important to BJP.

A few days ago, Fadnavis had shot up the Sena leader's blood pressure while announcing that there was no denying that CM Shinde's son Dr Shrikant would be the alliance candidate in Kalyan, the constituency the surgeon-turned-politician has held since 2014. Fadnavis's remarks were interpreted as the BJP's resolve to consolidate its claim on Thane, for which, like Kalyan no candidate has been declared officially.

In Palghar, Shinde Sena's sitting MP Rajendra Gavit, who the BJP had loaned to the undivided Shiv Sena in 2019, wants to contest on ‘lotus' symbol instead of ‘bow and arrow', because he feels that brand BJP, the party in which he has invested his mind, soul, and heart, would make him victorious.

Nashik has been embroiled in controversy since the beginning. The moment he got wind of a plan to replace him, Sena's Nashik MP Hemant Godse made a strong pitch by exhibiting support and displaying sharp protests in Mumbai and Nashik. Later, it was understood that NCP (Ajit Pawar)'s Chhagan Bhujbal would be made a candidate here. It meant that Shinde Sena would also lose the constituency. The BJP was blamed for engineering the plan which has not been executed yet.

In Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, BJP's union minister Narayan Rane has claimed the seat for himself even before official announcements. Shinde Sena was upset. It protested, but there has been no good news for the local stakeholders.

6
No. of LS seats in Mumbai