Mumbai: The ruling Grand Alliance's Lok Sabha seat-sharing formula in the state has been stuck for as many as 10 seats. It is not yet clear who among the three parties will contest how many seats and which seats. A final decision is likely to be taken in Delhi in a day or two.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that 80% of the seat-sharing of the Grand Alliance has been finalized. The state has 48 Lok Sabha seats. In view of this, Fadnavis admitted that a decision on about 10 seats could not be taken. According to Lokmat, the Grand Alliance is in a race in at least 10 constituencies.
Moves to take MNS along
The BJP is in the process of taking the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena along. Bala Nandgaonkar may be given the South Mumbai seat while inducting him into the Grand Alliance. Shirdi is being considered for them. Shiv Sena's Rahul Shewale and former MLA Bala Nandgaonkar met a senior BJP leader in Mumbai on Thursday night. With assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar being fielded by the BJP, a new twist is coming. The BJP has calculated that Raj Thackeray will be used to counter the criticism of the Maha Vikas Aghadi and especially the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) party chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Potential allocations
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that their faction must get 13 seats. The NCP is not ready to take less than six seats. If a total of 19 seats are given to allies, the BJP will get 29 seats. BJP's state leaders are not ready for it. So now the ball has gone to the BJP high command's court. Sources said the BJP has suggested fielding a new face to the two constituencies held by the Shiv Sena. In the case of the BJP, the NCP and the Shiv Sena have suggested the same for each constituency.
These seats are in dispute
- Bhandara-Gondiya: BJP and NCP also want
- Satara: BJP and NCP clash
- Thane: Along with the BJP, Shiv Sena also wants
- Ramtek: BJP wants, Shiv Sena also stuck
- Yavatmal-Washim: BJP says to give it to us
- Gadchiroli: BJP's constituency, NCP also insists
- North-West Mumbai: Shiv Sena wins seat, BJP claims
- South Mumbai: BJP-Sena tie-up, MNS likely
- Aurangabad: Shiv Sena insists and BJP too
- Kolhapur: Both Shiv Sena and BJP claim