Amidst growing tensions within the Mahayuti alliance over seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is scheduled to visit Delhi on March 8, 2024. Shinde, who is currently on a tour of Kolhapur, will be meeting with senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda, to discuss the seat sharing formula for the state.
The meeting, which is scheduled to take place at 4:00 PM IST, is expected to be a crucial one, as the Mahayuti alliance is yet to reach a consensus on the seat sharing arrangement. The BJP is reportedly seeking to contest the majority of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, leaving a smaller number of seats for its allies, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) is demanding at least 13 seats, while the NCP is seeking 9 seats. The outcome of the meeting in Delhi is expected to have a significant impact on the Mahayuti alliance's chances in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.