Maharashtra opposition parties reach consensus for 190 seats for polls

The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders met on Monday and reached a consensus on 190 out of 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra. The first list of MVA candidates is likely to be announced by Dussehra, said Vijay Wadettiwar, LoP in the Maharashtra Assembly.

In Short

• MVA agrees on 190 out of 288 Maharashtra assembly seats
• First candidate list for 175-200 seats by Dussehra
• Congress seeks more seats in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) eyes Vidarbha

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has reached a consensus on 190 out of 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, said Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, after a meeting held in Mumbai on Monday. The first list of candidates, covering around 175 to 200 seats, is expected to be finalised and announced by Dussehra.

During a meeting, MVA leaders discussed the remaining 98 seats. The three coalition parties will exchange proposals over the next three days to resolve disagreements on seats with overlapping claims.

Wadettiwar said that unresolved seats would be addressed in final discussions with top MVA leaders, with the possibility of "friendly fights" on certain seats if necessary.

Wadettiwar noted that similar disputes led to a "friendly fight" in the recent Lok Sabha polls over the Sangli seat, where the UBT Sena lost after competing against an independent candidate backed by Congress. He also recalled that Congress and the unified Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had similar electoral battles over ten seats in the 2019 assembly polls.

Sources indicate that Congress is pushing for a significant share of seats in Mumbai, traditionally considered a Shiv Sena (UBT) stronghold, while the latter is seeking more seats in Vidarbha, where Congress has a strong presence.

Around 25 to 30 crucial seats remain under discussion in ongoing negotiations, with Congress looking to increase its share in the MVA after a strong showing in the Lok Sabha elections.