Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed his concerns about the delayed seat allocation process by Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance during Maharashtra assembly elections. Raut said that the delay caused unrest among party workers and reduced their preparation time for the elections.
Congress leader Vijay Vadettiwar had earlier raised questions about a possible conspiracy behind the delay in seat-sharing among MVA allies – Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT).
Responding to these allegations, Raut said that such delays were avoidable. He said that while BJP-led Mahayuti alliance had finalized its seat-sharing arrangements two months prior to the elections, the MVA struggled to complete the process even by the last day of filing nominations.
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#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On INDIA alliance, Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut says, “We fought the Lok Sabha elections together and the results were also good. After that it was the responsibility of all of us, especially Congress, to keep the INDIA alliance alive, sit together… pic.twitter.com/t85MlvDDKj
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2025
Missed opportunities in seat allocation
Raut highlighted specific examples of seats that were mishandled during the allocation process, which he said ultimately cost the alliance winnable constituencies. Referring to Chandrapur seat, he said that independent MLA Kishor Jorgewar was prepared to contest on an NCP ticket but Congress refused to let go of the seat. After prolonged disputes, Jorgewar joined the BJP and won the seat.
Raut also cited Kolhapur North seat, which Shiv Sena (UBT) had historically won six times, as another missed opportunity. He emphasized that clearer coordination and better decision-making could have secured such seats for the alliance.
Challenges within alliance
Shiv Sena leader criticized Congress for demanding more seats despite winning fewer constituencies in previous elections. He suggested that the central leadership of Congress should have intervened to streamline the process but failed to do so. Additionally, he pointed out the lack of positive discussions and coordination among the three parties, which led to a fragmented strategy.
Raut also mentioned the challenges faced by the alliance due to changing political dynamics in the country. He warned that without a unified approach and mutual trust, the alliance could face further setbacks in future elections, including the Lok Sabha polls.
Sanjay Raut said that the blame for the alliance’s electoral shortcomings should be shared by all parties involved. He highlighted the need for unity in seat distribution and urged the alliance to learn from past mistakes to avoid similar issues in future elections.
“Leaders like Omar Abdullah, Mamta Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal all say that the INDIA alliance has no existence now. If such a feeling comes in the minds of the people, then the biggest party of the alliance Congress is responsible for this. There is no coordination, no discussion, no dialouge,” said Raut.
Raut said that lack of coordination within INDIA alliance is drawing parallels with the situation in other states. He said that disorganization and internal conflicts could harm the alliance’s prospects in the elections.
