After days of hectic parleys and discussion, the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, have almost finalised seat-share talks. According to the agreement, Eknath Shinde may get 13 seats for Shiv Sena, BJP 31 seats while Ajit Pawar' NCP will have to settle with 4 seats. However, if a candidate contests from the Palghar seat and BJP's election symbol, the saffron party can contest on 32 seats, Shinde on 12 seats. In 2019, BJP had won 23 of the 25 seats it had contested, while its then alliance partner — undivided Shiv Sena — won 18 seats of the 23 seats it had contested.
To end the stalemate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held discussions for seat sharing in Maharashtra for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with coalition partners Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP president Ajit Pawar. Shinde and Pawar — chief minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra — held talks with Shah late Friday. Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present in the meeting.
On Tuesday a meeting of ministers and leaders was held on behalf of Shiv Sena, in which it was decided that 18 MPs had been elected in the last 2019 elections. Out of 18 MPs, 13 are with Eknath Shinde and 5 are with Uddhav Shiv Sena. In such a situation, 13 seats must be contested.
Differences have emerged among the coalition partners over certain Lok Sabha seats that the BJP has staked claim to such as South Mumbai and Thane (won by Shiv Sena) and Raigad (NCP). Palghar seat was contested by BJP in 2014. In 2019, both this seat and the candidate were given by BJP to Shiv Sena. There is every possibility of this seat exchange. On the other hand, Ajit Pawar's NCP is bargaining on Baramati, Raigarh, Shirur, Parbhani, Gadchiroli seats.
According to reports, CM Shinde and both the Deputy CMs may go to Delhi and hold a meeting with Amit Shah to final the formula.
