MVA allies to clash over five Assembly seats in Mumbai?

UBT, Cong eyeing Ghatkopar West, Goregaon, which NCP-SP plans to contest; Uddhav-led party also wants Kurla, Jogeshwari, Dahisar

Seat-sharing talks have begun within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, but the NCP-SP has staked a claim on some of the Assembly constituencies the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress wish to contest. According to sources, the NCP-SP has demanded seven constituencies in Mumbai—Anushakti Nagar, Ghatkopar East, Ghatkopar West, Kurla, Jogeshwari, Goregaon and Dahisar—while the Sena (UBT) and Congress are eyeing Ghatkopar West and Goregaon.

MLA Nawab Malik, who won from Anushakti Nagar in 2019

UBT is preparing for the Jogeshwari, Dahisar and Kurla contests. So, internal clashes are possible over Ghatkopar West, Goregaon, Dahisar, Kurla and Jogeshwari. In the 2019 Assembly election, the undivided NCP contested six Assembly constituencies, winning one. Former minister Nawab Malik won from Anushakti Nagar, but now he is with the party faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. For the coming Assembly poll, NCP-SP has demanded only two seats contested in 2019: Anushakti Nagar and Kurla.

NCP’s Milind Kamble won the latter seat, reserved for scheduled caste candidates, in 2009. Amol Matele, spokesperson NCP-SP, said, “Our party has demanded regainable seats in Mumbai. We have demanded constituencies that we can win. Our demand is quite practical.” “MVA’s leaders will solve seat-sharing issues soon,” he added. Meanwhile, the NCP-SP’s youth wing has decided to organise Yuva Samwad programmes in city constituencies, which will be attended by party chief Sharad Pawar. Sources said the programme will be organised in seats the party plans to contest.

The NCP-SP was not in the fray in the recent Lok Sabha election. Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress contested four and two constituencies respectively. mid-day has reported that Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are willing to contest 16 and 25 seats respectively. In 2019, the undivided Shiv Sena contested 19 Assembly seats and won 14. After the split, six MLAs joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction while eight remained with Uddhav Thackeray. In the previous Assembly election, Congress contested 14 seats in the city and won four. In the recent Lok Sabha election, Sena (UBT) won three seats while Congress won one.

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