Battle of two fronts in third largest state

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, September 21

The Assembly elections in Maharashtra will be a contest between the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine and the Congress-NCP alliance.

The Congress and NCP were first off the block announcing their seat-sharing arrangements with both planning to contest 125 seats each, leaving 38 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra legislature to smaller parties. Both the parties are facing the contest with their back to the wall following the severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections.

The NCP has been particularly affected with most of its second-rung leadership joining either the BJP or the Shiv Sena. Though fewer Congress leaders have quit, the party is severely hampered by indecisive leadership at the state level, feel observers. 

A buoyant BJP under CM Devendra Fadnavis is locked in tough negotiations with Sena. Fresh from their good showing in LS elections, Fadnavis and BJP chief Amit Shah are keen on contesting more seats than Sena.