On one hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its first list of candidates, while on the other, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has yet to reach a consensus on seat-sharing. A major conflict has arisen between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) over a few seats, leading to speculation that Uddhav Thackeray might decide to leave the MVA. In this context, Congress state president Nana Patole has provided an important response.
Speaking to the media in Delhi, Patole stated, "We have discussed 96 seats, but there are disputes over 30-40 seats, which haven't been resolved yet. Each party will contest in the seats where they have influence. Tomorrow, I will meet Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai to find a solution to this issue. The BJP is spreading such rumors because they are scared," Patole remarked.
According to sources, a conflict has erupted between the Congress and the Thackeray faction over seats in Vidarbha. Shiv Sena has demanded three seats in the region, but the Congress is unwilling to give up any Vidarbha seats to the Thackeray faction. Nana Patole is opposed to conceding seats to Shiv Sena. The Thackeray faction had previously left two Vidarbha seats Ramtek and Amravati open for Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. Now, Shiv Sena is arguing that Congress should give them three seats for the upcoming Assembly elections. Congress, however, contends that since more seats were given to Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha, they should now reciprocate by conceding more seats to Congress.
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What Did Vijay Wadettiwar Say?Rumors have circulated that Shiv Sena might consider contesting independently. Responding to this, Vijay Wadettiwar said, "This discussion has not taken place at all. This is a deliberate attempt by the BJP to create discord because they are scared in the state." Regarding reports of talks between Sanjay Raut and Amit Shah, Wadettiwar stated, "There has been no such discussion. Who put Sanjay Raut in jail? So, there is no truth to these rumors. Our high command has not had any discussions regarding this. Uddhav Thackeray is firmly with the MVA, and we will fight the elections as part of the alliance," Wadettiwar clarified.