After a suspenseful period of over two months filled with negotiations, the opposition coalition known as Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has at last reached a significant agreement regarding the allocation of seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 48 constituencies. This pivotal decision was announced on Tuesday, marking the end of prolonged discussions.
In accordance with the agreed formula, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has secured the majority of seats with 21 Lok Sabha constituencies, including four in Mumbai. Meanwhile, the Congress party has been allocated 17 seats, including two in the bustling city of Mumbai, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has settled for 10 seats, with no representation in Mumbai.
The breakdown of seat distribution is as follows:
Shiv Sena (UBT) — 21 seats: Jalgaon, Parbhani, Nashik, Palghar, Kalyan, Thane, Raigad, Maval, Osmanabad, Ratnagiri, Buldhana, Hatkanangle, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shirdi, Sangli, Hingoli, Yavatmal-Washim, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North West, Mumbai South, Mumbai North East.
Congress — 17 seats: Nandurbar, Dhule, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur, Nanded, Jalna, Mumbai North, Mumbai North Central, Pune, Latur, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ramtek.
NCP (SP) — 10 seats: Baramati, Shirur, Satara, Bhiwandi, Dindori, Madha, Raver, Wardha, Ahmednagar South, Beed.
The announcement was made in the presence of all other coalition partners of MVA, including smaller parties like PWP, CPI, AAP, CPM, SP, and other Dalit parties.
Following intense negotiations among the major partners of MVA, contentious seats such as Sangli, Mumbai, Satara, and Bhiwandi were settled through compromise and mutual understanding. Shiv Sena (UBT) secured the Sangli seat, NCP (SP) obtained the coveted Bhiwandi seat, and Congress was granted two out of the three seats it demanded in Mumbai.
However, the smaller allies within the MVA-INDIA coalition did not receive any seats. Nevertheless, they have reportedly pledged to support the larger parties in defeating the candidates of the ruling MahaYuti-NDA alliance comprising Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Nationalist Congress Party in the state.
This development sets the stage for a direct confrontation between the two main alliances—the MVA-INDIA bloc and the ruling MahaYuti-NDA. However, the presence of candidates fielded by Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in several constituencies could potentially disrupt the electoral landscape for both major groups.
While the primary contenders have already announced their candidates for most of the Lok Sabha constituencies, the remaining selections will be finalized in the upcoming days, as assured by MVA leaders.
Sharad Pawar emphasized that there were no disagreements regarding any seat, while Uddhav Thackeray commended the smaller parties for refraining from pressuring the alliance to contest seats, emphasizing the broader goal of safeguarding democracy.
Read also | Telephonic Exchange Between Dutch Far-Right Figure Wilders and Nupur Sharma
Read also | Letter from L-G Office to MHA Highlights Delhi Ministers' Meeting Refusal
