No differences in MVA, "winnability" criterion for distribution of tickets for 2024 Lok Sabha elections: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole

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Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole Monday said there are no differences in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over the allocation of seats for upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections and added that "winnability" will be the criterion for the distribution of tickets.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Congress.

"Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has already clarified his stand on the allocation of seats. The goal of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in elections," Patole told reporters.

He said the Congress wants to fight the BJP by taking everyone along and alleged that differences have cropped up in the ruling Mahayuti (grand alliance) over the allocation of seats.

"To quell these differences, the BJP will eventually use the ED and CBI to silence its allies," he alleged.

The Mahayuti includes the BJP, the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction).

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule has ruled out any internal confusion on the over-the-seat sharing issue for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying that a lot of things about seat sharing were clarified in a meeting between Sonia Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.

"There is no confusion internally. There was a meeting between Sonia Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar in Delhi 15 days ago. A lot of things about seat sharing were clarified in that meeting. The information will be officially announced in the next 8-10 days," Sule told reporters on Monday.

"There will be ups and downs in the seat-sharing formula as we are in alliance, so this will happen," Sule said.

When asked about the role of Prakash Ambedkar in the INDIA bloc, she said that he will definitely play an important role in the alliance.

Earlier, former Lok Sabha MP Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, reiterated his interest in joining the MVA and INDIA alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

VBA (Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi) President Prakash Ambedkar, in his letter to Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, stressed the need to adopt his proposed formula of 12 seats for each party.

He termed the "12+12+12+12 formula" as a 'conflict-free' plan to decide on the number of seat sharing in the state.

Emphasising that 'defeating Modi should be the only priority for MVA', Prakash Ambedkar in his letter mentioned that the "VBA desires that the parties within the MVA- Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), Nationalist Congress Party, Indian National Congress and VBA should fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together and on an equal number of seats as equal partners." (With inputs from agencies)