In a major breakthrough for the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SCP) on Tuesday announced their seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections.
As part of their agreement, the Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest 21 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The Congress and the NCP (SCP) have been given 17 and 10 seats, respectively.
Addressing the press briefing, Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SCP) said that there are no more disagreements among the three alliance partners.
“We declared the seat sharing after mutual agreement,” Sharad Pawar said.
As per the pact, Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena will contest 21 seats, including Sangali and Mumbai South Central.
The other seats in Shiv Sena’s kitty are – Jalgaon, Parbhani, Nashik, Palghar, Kalyan, Thane, Raigad, Maval, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Buldhana, Shirdi, Hatkanangale, Hingoli, Yavatmal-Washim, Mumbai North West, Mumbai South, and Mumbai North East.
Nandurbar, Dhule, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur, Nanded, Jalna, Pune, Latur, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ramtek, Mumbai North, Mumbai North Central have been given to the Congress.
Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SCP) will field it’s candidates on Baramati, Shirur, Satara, Bhiwandi, Dindori, Madha, Raver, Wardha, Ahmednagar, Beed.
The announcement was made during a joint MVA press conference of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar and state Congress chief Nana Patole.
The development comes as a major boost to the Opposition’s INDIA bloc after a series of setbacks in West Bengal and Punjab where its regional constituents refused to forge an alliance with the principal Opposition party Congress.
The Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra will be held in five phases from April 19 to May 20.