Sunil Tatkare: Mahayuti to contest state assembly polls under Shinde, Fadnavis & Pawar's leadership

Sunil Tatkare/ File Photo

During discussions among Mahayuti partners about seat allocation for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, state unit NCP president Sunil Tatkare announced on Saturday that the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP will contest the elections under the collective leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, reported IANS.

Per the news agency report, Tatkare denied speculations of the NCP's expulsion from Mahayuti, stating that top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president JP Nadda, have confirmed the NCP's crucial role in the alliance. He emphasised that seat-sharing negotiations between the three parties will be done cordially.

Tatkare indicated that there is no rush to announce Mahayuti's Chief Ministerial candidate if the alliance regains power. He directed party spokespersons to refrain from making public pronouncements concerning seat sharing, emphasising that such conversations would be handled by senior leaders from the three parties. He also instructed party members to disregard any statements or videos demanding the NCP's exclusion from Mahayuti, the IANS report added.

Sunil Tatkare was quoted in the IANS report as saying, "I have asked the party spokespersons not to make any public statement on seat sharing among Mahayuti partners as it will be done at the level of senior leaders of three parties. I have also directed party spokespersons and cadres to neglect any statement or video against NCP demanding the party be kept away from the Mahayuti."

He added, "In fact, the bonhomie between the BJP and the NCP has increased, and it will further strengthen. Our national president, Ajit Pawar, is known for his administrative skills and command over the party. He will play a crucial role in the Mahayuti during the upcoming assembly elections."

The Mahayuti alliance was battered in the Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024 with the BJP-Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar faction of NCP winning only 17 seats while Maha Vikas Aghadi won 30 seats. Among the three constituents of Mahayuti, Ajit Pawar's faction of NCP performed the worst with only one seat to its credit. Since the results were announced on June 4, reports of a rift among the ruling alliance sporadically hit the headlines.