The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra held a critical meeting today to finalize seat distribution for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While the discussion reached the final stage, certain details remain unsettled.The main takeaway is the apparent consensus on awarding the Thackeray group (Shiv Sena) the lion's share of seats. Notably, the alliance seems poised to hand over four out of six Mumbai constituencies to the Thackerays. This move aligns with the overall tone of the meeting, which leaned towards maximizing the Thackeray group's seat allocation.
Positive dialogue regarding Congress and NCP seats emerged during the meeting as well. However, specifics and numbers haven't been locked down yet.It's important to note that consensus hasn't been reached on all constituencies. The alliance appears determined to prioritize fielding strong candidates with high winnability, even if it necessitates constituency swaps or adjustments.
For Mumbai, the current picture suggests Shiv Sena securing South Mumbai, South-Central Mumbai, North-West Mumbai, and East-North Mumbai Lok Sabha seats. Additionally, Mahavikas Aghadi intends to allocate one seat each to Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, both allies within the coalition. Interestingly, these two seats will reportedly come from the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party's own quota.
After the meeting, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the Mahavikas Aghadi is strong and united. He said that the meeting was held in a positive atmosphere and that all 48 seats in Maharashtra were discussed.The next meeting will be held on January 30. In addition to Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena Thackeray group, leaders of CPI and CPM were also present in the meeting.Raut also said that some people are trying to create a rift in the Mahavikas Aghadi. He said that these people should be told that everything is fine in the alliance.