Mahayuti faces intense seat-sharing tussle ahead of Maharashtra MLC elections; Shiv Sena pushes for bigger share

Shiv Sena pushes for bigger share in Mahayuti talks amid MLC elections (File pic)

While Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that seat-sharing talks within the Mahayuti (BJP, Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar NCP) alliance are progressing smoothly and that only three seats remain to be finalised, the ground reality appears far more competitive. The ruling Mahayuti alliance is witnessing intense internal bargaining over seat sharing for the 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections from local self-government constituencies.

The BJP is keen on contesting 12 seats on its own, while the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde is demanding a bigger share in the polls. Polling for all 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) seats will be held on June 18, while counting of votes is scheduled for June 22.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Wednesday, Fadnavis said, "Only three seats, Pune, Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, are yet to be discussed. Distribution for the remaining seats has been sorted out."

However, according to buzz in the political corridors, Shinde is pushing for five seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party camp led by Sunetra Pawar is demanding three seats.

Among the 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) seats falling vacant this year, the BJP currently holds seven seats, while the Shiv Sena (undivided) has five, the NCP (undivided) has three, and the Congress has two seats, reflecting the parties' strength in local bodies. Banking on its dominant position, the BJP has now staked a claim to 12 of the 17 seats.

On the other hand, leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance, also held a meeting to discuss seat sharing among themselves. Though a final decision is yet to be taken, there are indications that the Congress may contest around eight seats, while the Shiv Sena is likely to get five seats, and the Nationalist Congress Party may contest three to four seats.