Maharashtra Assembly election: Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders meet Sharad Pawar as MVA fails to arrive at seat-sharing consensus

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Amidst a stalemate within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over seat-sharing for the Maharashtra assembly election, allies Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) met with Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for discussions, news agency PTI stated. MVA sources indicated that a seat-sharing agreement could be finalised within a day or two as consensus is sought.

According to PTI, Pawar remained at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai, where he was visited by Congress leader Naseem Khan, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Anil Parab, and his party colleague Anil Deshmukh. Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra are in Delhi attending a central election committee meeting.

Talks among MVA allies are centred around 10 to 12 seats to decide which party can give a better candidate, sources said. Congress leader Naseem Khan stated that talks are ongoing to build consensus on the remaining 10 per cent of the seats for the Maharashtra Assembly election. "As Sharad Pawar is the architect of MVA, we met him today for discussions," Khan stated.

Tensions among MVA allies over specific seats escalated into a public spat between state Congress chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut, leading party chief Uddhav Thackeray to urge his allies not to let matters reach a breaking point, PTI reported. The nomination process for the Maharashtra Assembly election is set to begin on October 22.

Meanwhile, former Member of Legislative Council and Janata Dal (United) leader Kapil Patil joined the Congress in Delhi.

Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 99 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly election. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Clyde Crasto accused the saffron party of endorsing dynastic politics. "Those who believe BJP doesn't support dynastic politics will be embarrassed after reading the list. BJP genuinely believes in it [dyanstic politics]," he remarked.

BJP has nominated several relatives of influential leaders, including Sreejaya Chavan, the daughter of former Chief Minister (CM) Ashok Chavan, who recently switched from the Congress. She will make her electoral debut from the Bhokar constituency in Nanded district, previously held by her father. BJP also re-nominated Nitesh Rane, the son of former Union minister Narayan Rane, for the Kankavli seat in Sindhudurg district. Santosh Danve, the legislator from Bhokardan in Jalna, who is the son of former Union minister Raosaheb, will also be fighting from the same seat, reported PTI.

(With PTI inputs)