Maharashtra Assembly polls: Mahayuti seat-sharing talks to conclude in 10 days, says BJP state chief

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Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said that seat-sharing discussions among the ruling allies for the upcoming Assembly polls will conclude in the next 10 days. He emphasised that the allocation of seats will be based on the winnability of the candidates rather than the number of seats each party contests, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Bawankule said, "The seat-sharing talks within the Mahayuti alliance will be wrapped up in 10 days. Our focus is on ensuring that seats are allocated based on winnability. We will leave some seats for our allies, but the number of seats on which each party contests is secondary. What matters is maintaining a double-engine government to continue the welfare schemes."

Bawankule further mentioned that strict directives have been issued to all BJP members, asking them to refrain from making statements that could create discord within the alliance, which includes Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led National Congress Party (NCP). He warned party members that violations of this directive would result in strict disciplinary action from BJP.

On Saturday CM Shinde, along with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, held seat-sharing discussions in Nagpur in preparation for the upcoming state Assembly elections, which are expected to take place in October-November.

According to sources, the final seat-sharing formula is expected to be decided after two to three more meetings. NCP sources have indicated that a consensus has already been reached for 173 seats, with BJP securing the largest share, followed by the Shiv Sena and NCP.

The remaining 115 seats are expected to be finalised in a forthcoming meeting between Bawankule, Shinde, and senior NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, as per sources.

Maharashtra elections likely by end of year

The tenure of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end in November. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be held later this year though the Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the dates for it. On August 16, ECI announced the schedule of elections in Haryana and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that will be held from September 18 to October 1 but did not clear the picture on the polls in Maharashtra. During the press conference, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that the high demand for security forces in Jammu and Kashmir is the primary reason for not holding Maharashtra Assembly elections.

(With PTI inputs)