After the announcement of the Maharashtra Assembly election, discussions around seat sharing have intensified, revealing some internal tensions within the Mahavikas Aghadi coalition. Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the Congress have laid claim to certain seats in Vidarbha and Mumbai, leading to discontent, particularly from Thackeray's Shiv Sena, which is unhappy after the Congress denied its request for a seat in Vidarbha.
The controversy surrounding seat allocation within the Mahavikas Aghadi stems from a dispute over 28 crucial seats. While the coalition has broadly agreed on more than 250 seats, the contention arises specifically over these 28 seats located in Mumbai and Vidarbha, both claimed by Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the Congress.In Mumbai, three constituencies—Versova, Byculla, and Dharavi—are central to the dispute.
The Congress has claimed these constituencies, whereas Thackeray's Shiv Sena has made its own claims over Versova, Byculla, and Ghatkopar West. Additionally, the Samajwadi Party has staked a claim to Byculla, Mankhurd Shivajinagar, Versova, and Anushakti Nagar. A significant concern is that the Congress appears to have nearly finalized its candidate choices for some of these contentious seats.In previous Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray's Shiv Sena had conceded several seats in Vidarbha, including Ramtek and Amravati, to the Congress.
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However, the Shiv Sena is now asserting its claim over some seats in Vidarbha, leading to friction since Congress leaders in the state are reluctant to relinquish control over those seats. This issue may ultimately escalate to the Congress leadership in Delhi for resolution.MP Sanjay Raut commented on the situation, mentioning that discussions regarding seat sharing will take place in Delhi, implicitly referring to the growing tensions without specifically naming Nana Patole. Patole also weighed in on the controversy, further highlighting the complexities of the seat allocation discussions within the coalition.