Nominations end, but MVA yet to announce seat-sharing pact

Even as the nomination process for the Maharashtra Assembly poll ended on Tuesday, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) failed to announce the final seat-sharing arrangement.

The MVA constituents — Congress, National Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) — had earlier decided to contest 85 seats each, claiming that negotiations were being held for the remaining seats in the 288-member Assembly. But later, a Congress leader revised this figure to 90 seats, which was refuted by some leaders within the Opposition alliance.

The Congress, which has been keen to fight the largest number of seats, has already declared candidates on 102 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced 84 candidates and NCP (SP) has named 82.

Besides, there have been differences between MVA constituents over the need to project a CM face. Shiv Sena (UBT) strongly favoured the idea, but the Congress and NCP (SP) were not in favour of the move. There is also ambiguity about MVA constituents’ decision on the Samajwadi Party’s demands and the scope of accommodating it and other INDIA bloc parties in the alliance.

Members of the MVA coalition members are also running candidates against each other in key constituencies.

In Deegars, Congress’ Manikrao Thackeray is being challenged by Uddhav Thackeray’s ally, Pawan Jaiswal. In Miraj, the Congress has pitted Mohan Wankhede against Tanaji Satpute of Shiv Sena (UBT). In South Solapur, the Congress’s Dilip Mane is contesting against Shiv Sena (UBT’s) Amar Patil.

Similar clashes are unfolding in the Bhaykhala constituency, where the Congress’s Madhu Anna Chavan is standing against Manoj Jamsutkar from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction).

The situation is further complicated by allegations that there was a clandestine arrangement between Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and the Sharad Pawar group.