Lok Sabha elections 2024: MVA allies finally resolve seat-sharing row; Shiv Sena (UBT) gets 21 LS seats, Cong 17, NCP (SP) 10

It's final. In the MVA (INDIA) seat-sharing formula for Maharashtra's 48 seats, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has got 21, with four seats in Mumbai, followed by the Congress with 17, which includes two seats in Mumbai. NCP (Sharad Pawar) has the least share of 10. However, the contentious seat of Sangli has remained with the Sena despite Congress leaders' protests.

The Congress high command endorsed the Sena's demand in view of the seats that the ally had given up elsewhere in the state. NCP will retain Bhiwandi, another seat the Congress had disputed. Despite the high command's approval, some leaders in Mumbai were not happy about the share formula. A top leader said the party had been given seats - North Central and North - where it cannot win. Both constituencies have been with the BJP since 2014. City Congress president Varsha Gaikwad had asked for Mumbai South Central, a part of which she represents in the Vidhan Sabha. Her father Eknath Gaikwad was an MP there. Shinde Sena's Rahul Shewale is the incumbent there. He will compete against Sena (UBT)'s Anil Desai. The BJP has not announced its candidate for North Central. Union minister Piyush Goyal is the BJP's nominee in Mumbai North.

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders at a press conference in Mumbai. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

‘All is well'

Making a joint statement at a press conference marking the auspicious muhurat of Gudi Padwa, the MVA allies pledged to be united henceforth, insisting that there were no differences in the combine, and that the leaders and workers in the contentious seats were instructed to campaign for the MVA candidates because the INDIA bloc's ultimate goal was to oust the Narendra Modi government. As far as Mumbai is concerned, Shiv Sena had its way. It has kept the seats where it had announced candidates earlier. In addition to Mumbai North Central, it had offered the Congress Mumbai North, which the ally accepted. Sena's ‘unannounced' candidate Vinod Ghosalkar had started campaigning, but he has been asked to cooperate with the Congress, which is expected to find its nominee soon.

People have decided: Uddhav

Uddhav Thackeray, who did most of the talking, said that the sharing was aimed at winning. "We don't need to put in much effort this time because the people have taken the elections into their hands. People have decided to oust the Modi government," he said. About the absence of the Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA in the Opposition bloc, Thackeray said sincere efforts had been made to expand the MVA-INDIA in Maharashtra. "Our allies did not demand a seat and yet became part of the alliance. I thank them," he said in reference to the small parties. "We had offered VBA some seats. Now it is not possible. But we respect Ambedkar," he added. Thackeray said Narendra Modi's campaign speech in Chandrapur wasn't that of the PM's but of a BJP leader. "Please don't consider our criticism or reaction to Modi's statement as criticism of the PM. We don't want to demean the PM's post. The occurrence of a solar eclipse, amavasya, and Modi's public meeting yesterday - all on the same day - was a strange coincidence in the country for the first time," he said, responding to Modi's charge of ‘fake Sena'. "It was the same Sena when Amit Shad had come kneeling down to Matoshree," he added. In a series of tweets, Thackeray said, "The BJP has transformed into a party of cowards, corrupt individuals, and deceitful people. The BJP sought to take away Shiv Sena to Gujarat, but I prevented it from happening."

He concluded: "If the prime minister of the country starts thinking and favouring a single party; then the oath we take by placing our hands on the Constitution is undermined and violated." Veteran of MVA, Sharad Pawar, said that the sharing was done unanimously. "We're on the same page," he said.

‘Being reasonable isn't insulting'

While justifying his party's ‘generosity', state Congress president Nana Patole said being reasonable was not being insulting. "Sonia ji took interest [in Maharashtra affairs] despite being unwell. We're a national party that wants to remove the dictator. We want to beat the BJP in Maharashtra. That's our only purpose," he said, adding that PM Modi's ‘Muslim League' remark about the Congress manifesto was uncalled for. "If Muslim League divided the country, then Hindu Mahasabha, too, did the same thing," he said. Patole ensured that MVA allies would transfer their votes to the respective candidate. Patole and Sena's Sanjay Raut, who locked horns over seat-sharing demands, attempted to lighten the mood at the press conference yet kept posturing. After passing a remark on Patole's disagreement on what he had said, Raut announced that the Congress leader would read out the seat distribution. Patole refused, looking visibly upset. "Raut is MVA's joint spokesperson," he said, prompting Raut to do the honours. And when he did, Raut did not forget to stress the contentious seats.

Inputs by Dipti Singh

Who got what

21 Shiv Sena (UBT) Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North West, Mumbai South, Mumbai North East, Jalgaon, Parbhani, Nasik, Palghar, Kalyan, Thane, Raigad, Maval, Dharashiv, Ratnagiri, Buldhana, Hatkanangle, Shirdi, Sambhajinagar, Sangli, Hingoli, Yavatmal

17 Congress Mumbai North Central, Mumbai North, Nandurbar, Dhule, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Ramtek, Bhandara Gondia, Gadchiroli Chimur, Chandrapur, Nanded, Jalna, Pune, Latur, Solapur, Kolhapur

10 NCP (SP) Baramati, Shirur, Satara, Bhiwandi, Dindori, Madha, Raver, Wardha, Ahmednagar, Beed