New Delhi: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Maharashtra’s opposition alliance, is facing a crucial test of unity as the clock ticks down to the state assembly elections. The Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) are locked in a bitter battle over key constituencies, a battle that threatens to derail the alliance’s electoral prospects.
The bone of contention becomes the allocation of seats in eastern Vidarbha and Mumbai, two regions crucial to electoral success. The Congress, citing the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s weakened presence in Vidarbha following the party split, has refused to cede any seats in the region. The Shiv Sena (UBT), in turn, is demanding constituencies that Congress has historically failed to win, adding fuel to the fire by targeting two key seats in Mumbai.
Sanjay Raut, a prominent Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, voiced his frustration with the slow pace of seat-sharing negotiations, criticising the grand old party for delaying decisions and sending every proposal to Delhi for approval. “We don’t have much time left, and I feel Congress leaders here are unable to take decisions. They keep sending lists to Delhi for approval, but that time has passed. We need decisions to be made quickly,” Raut said targeting the Maharashtra Congress Chuief Nana Patole.
He emphasised the need for quick decisions to ensure a united front against the BJP, who he claims is using agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to target opposition leaders.
According to he reports the MVA have achieved settled seat-sharing for 260 Assembly seats out of 288. The dispute on the remaining 28 seats has resulted in the dispute that Shiv Sena (UBT) on Friday intimidated to not attend the talks if Patole attends them. To settle the dispute Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala will arrive in Mumbai on Saturday.
The Congress, however, dismisses the notion of a major rift within the alliance. While acknowledging disagreements over specific seats, Congress state president Nana Patole insists that the final decisions will be made by the party leadership, notably Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. “Sanjay Raut’s leader is Uddhav Thackeray, and our leader is Rahul Gandhi. What happens in seat-sharing is something we inform our leadership about. I won’t comment much on Sanjay Raut’s statements,” Patole said.
As the election date nears for 288 seat assembly, the stalemate over seat-sharing has raised serious concerns for the MVA.
