The seat allocation discussions within the Mahayuti alliance for the upcoming assembly elections gained momentum on Tuesday night. Key figures, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar, convened to deliberate on the allocation of seats. Prior to the meeting, Amit Shah held sessions with BJP workers in areas like Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur, where he emphasized the need for party unity and warned against factionalism. Shah made it clear that internal differences must be set aside to ensure a strong performance in the elections.
The core issue revolves around seat distribution within the alliance. The BJP reportedly seeks 160 seats, while the Shinde and Ajit Pawar groups each want 80 seats. This has led to significant tension, as the available seats are not sufficient to satisfy all factions, leading to a growing rift between the Shinde and Pawar groups. Within the BJP itself, there is dissatisfaction among members over the need to campaign for candidates from the Shinde or Ajit Pawar factions.
Following the late-night meeting, which continued until around 12:30 AM, Eknath Shinde described the talks with Amit Shah as positive but did not disclose specifics about the number of seats discussed or the outcomes. No leader interacted with the media following the meeting, and Shinde departed for the airport soon after. When approached by the media at the airport, Shinde remained tight-lipped about the details of the discussions.
Meanwhile, Amit Shah, during a separate meeting with BJP office-bearers in the Nagpur division, reinforced the need for collaboration within the alliance, stating that the BJP must work in tandem with Shiv Sena and NCP to defeat the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Shah reiterated that the BJP would not tolerate factionalism or insurgency during the candidate nomination process. The seat allocation issue remains unresolved, but a decision is expected soon as election preparations continue.