NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday hinted that his party will seek a larger share in seat distribution among the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies for the upcoming assembly elections.
"We wanted more seats in the Lok Sabha, but maintaining unity in the Maha Vikas Aghadi was more important, so we stepped back," Pawar said in a meeting of party functionaries in Pune.
Speculation has arisen that Pawar made this statement to secure additional seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Sharad Pawar group's meeting took place at the Market Yard office in Pune on Friday, with newly elected MPs in attendance. State President Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, and other officials were present.
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Pawar thanked the party officials and workers for their success in the Lok Sabha elections. He expressed confidence that with the same effort, the party could certainly form the government in the state. "We contested 10 seats and won 8. We should have secured more seats, but it was not the time to quarrel; it was the time to stay united," he remarked.
Pawar held two meetings during the day, one with the party's functionaries from Pune city and district, and another with its MLAs and newly elected MPs. The NCP (SP) chief also reviewed the situation in assembly segments within the Pune, Baramati, Maval, and Shirur Lok Sabha constituencies.
A party leader who attended the second meeting said Pawar exhorted the MPs and MLAs to be prepared for the assembly elections. Meanwhile, state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil told reporters that the party had not yet decided how many seats it would seek during the MVA seat-sharing talks.
Regarding the candidate for the Baramati assembly seat, currently represented by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, head of the rival NCP, Patil said Pawar senior would make the decision. Speculation is rife that Yugendra Pawar, the son of Ajit Pawar's brother Sriniwas Pawar, could be fielded against his uncle in the upcoming assembly elections.
Anil Deshmukh, another senior NCP (SP) leader, responded to a question by stating there was no "elder brother and younger brother" in the MVA. "All are equal," he said.
There was considerable nervousness among the MLAs aligned with the Ajit Pawar-led faction post Lok Sabha results, with some contacting Patil and other NCP (SP) leaders, Deshmukh claimed. "Let's see what is to be done with them," he added.
While the NCP (SP) won eight Lok Sabha seats, the Ajit-led faction won only one of the four seats it contested.