MVA Lok Sabha seat-sharing deal finalised, announcement soon: Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance agreed on a Lok Sabha seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday and it would be announced soon, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, reported news agency PTI.

He was talking to reporters after a meeting of the Congress, NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80).

Congress leaders Nana Patole, Prithviraj Chavan, Varsha Gaikwad, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leaders Jayant Patil, Jitendra awhad and Anil Deshmukh, and Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut participated in the meeting. A representative of the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) was also present, reported PTI.

There will be no more meetings to discuss Lok Sabha seat-sharing, Raut said, reported PTI.

"Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress president Nana Patole and Prakash Ambedkar will meet to give final approval to the deal and it will be announced at a press conference," the Rajya Sabha member said., reported PTI.

Also Read: Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says seat sharing talks near completion for upcoming polls

Raut denied reports that VBA had demanded 27 seats.

"They have given a list of seats where they have been working for many years. We will discuss it," he said, reported PTI.

Comprehensive discussion took place on each of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, he said, adding, "Winning is important, not who contests how many seats," reported PTI.

"Protection of democracy and the Constitution is our agenda, and Prakash Ambedkar holds the same view," Raut added, reported PTI.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP had won 23 Lok Sabha seats in the state, its alliance partner Shiv Sena (which was then undivided) had won 18 seats, undivided NCP had won four while Congress and AIMIM had won a seat each. An independent candidate had won one seat.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena is firm on contesting 18 seats it won in Maharashtra in the last Lok Sabha polls, a party leader said after a meeting between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and party MPs on Monday, reported PTI.

The fate of the four seats it lost in the 2019 general elections will be decided by the CM, the leader added.

"A decision has been taken to form a coordination committee for Mumbai. Instructions were also given to MPs Rahul Shewale and Milind Deora with regards to the party's poll preparations in Mumbai," the leader said, reported PTI.

"We will contest 18 seats we won in 2019. We have given Chief Minister Shinde the authority to decide on the four seats we lost," said the party leader who is also an MP from north Maharashtra, reported PTI.

It is not clear how many seats the constituents of the ruling alliance, comprising the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, will contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, reported PTI.

The MPs were also told to focus on the bill passed by the state government to give reservation to the Maratha community, the infrastructure works carried out by the Centre as well as the state government and Hindutva, reported PTI.

Emphasising better coordination between allies, CM Shinde also directed that a coordination committee be formed for better synergy.

During the meeting, the MPs were asked whether any last minute intervention was needed with regards to work in their constituencies before the model code of conduct kicks in for the Lok Sabha polls, which are to he held in the first half of the year, reported PTI.

The party will also focus on the rapid infrastructure development in the city, he said, reported PTI.

The undivided Shiv Sena contested 22 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and won 18 of them.

After the split in the Shiv Sena in June 2022, 13 of these MPs remained with Shinde while five stayed with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

(With inputs from PTI)