Maharashtra Elections 2024: MVA seals 85 seats each, Sena UBT names 65

Kedar Dighe, Sena (UBT)’s Kopri-Pachpakhadi candidate. PIC/X; (right) Eknath Shinde, chief minister. Pic/Ashish Raje

As the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) neared finalising its seat-sharing formula, which proposed 85 seats for each major ally, the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced 65 candidates on Wednesday.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole stated that the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (UBT) will each contest 85 seats, while discussions for the remaining seats will be held with other alliance parties, including the Samajwadi Party.

According to Sena leader Sanjay Raut, a consensus has been reached on 270 of the 288 seats. The allies are expected to continue discussions on Thursday. There was no clarity on whether 18 or more seats remain disputed and available for sharing. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Kedar Dighe will challenge Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Thane's Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency. In Worli, it will be Aaditya Thackeray, while cousin Varun Sardesai will spearhead the party's challenge in Vandre (Bandra) East.

The party also fielded a candidate in Mahim where MNS president Raj Thackeray's son Amit will be contesting. MNS has put up a candidate against Aaditya in Worli. It looks like there will be no rapprochement like in 2019 when MNS had not opposed Aaditya.

Sena (UBT) released its first list of 65 candidates on Wednesday while it was still in talks with the allies for some disputed seats. The party nominated 13 candidates in Mumbai where it is expected to field at least seven more.

Sitting MLAs, Sunil Raut (Vikroli), Sunil Prabhu (Dindoshi), Rutuja Latke (Andheri East), Prakash Phatephekar (Chembur), Aaditya Thackeray (Worli), Sanjay Potnis (Kalina), Vaibhav Naik (Kudal), Bhaskar Jadhav (Guhagar), Nitin Deshmukh (Balapur), Rajan Salvi (Rajapur), Ramesh Korgaonkar (Bhandup West) have made the first list. In Mumbai, Udesh Patklar (Magathane), Anant Nar (Jogeshwari East), Samir Desai (Goregaon) and Mahesh Sawant (Mahim) are the other candidates. Former MP Rajan Vichare (Thane), Naresh Manera (Ovala Majiwada) and Dighe will lead the Thackeray Sena challenge against the rival faction. In Nevasa, former minister and MLA Shankarrao Gadakh has been named.

Former bureaucrat Siddharth Kharat has been nominated from Mehkar-SC. Deepak Salunkhe, who was inducted recently, will make Sangola's battle a three-way contest. Former Congress/NCP MLA Dilip Sopal will take another chance in Barshi. Narayan Rane's ex-associate Rajan Teli has been fielded from Sawantwadi. Georai's ex-MLA Badamrao Pandit will fight the BJP.