As the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, political parties across the state have intensified their preparations, particularly in reaching a consensus with their allies over seat-sharing arrangements. While the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is reportedly in the final phase of talks on a seat-sharing pact, the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction)—also confirmed its strong joint presence for the upcoming elections, pointing out that their talks are too in the final phase.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis provided updates on the alliance's preparations. He elaborated on the seat-sharing discussions among the three parties. "Our discussion regarding seat-sharing is in the final stage. Yesterday, we resolved issues concerning problematic seats through positive discussions. We will finalize the remaining seats in the next two days. It has been decided that the cleared seats should be announced by the respective party at their convenience," the Deputy Chief Minister said.
"In the Bharatiya Janata Party, processes such as the Election Committee and Parliamentary Board meetings are almost complete. Our first candidate list could be released anytime," Fadnavis added.
Apart from Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also spoke about the ongoing talks among the alliance partners. "Yesterday, a meeting was held with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Mahayuti's seat-sharing was discussed, and positive progress was made. The discussions are in the final phase, and the seat-sharing arrangement will be finalized soon. We will share the good news with you shortly," the Chief Minister remarked.
About Maharashtra Assembly Elections
The Assembly polls in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20. The votes for the state will be counted on November 23. The BJP is keen to retain power in Maharashtra along with allies Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is facing a challenge from the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of the Congress-NCPSP-Shiv SenaUBT, which hopes to repeat its performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The opposition MVA alliance won 31 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections.
