MVA parties reach consensus on 270 seats, talks still on

The Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, and the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday announced to contest 85 seats each in Maharashtra assembly elections even as deliberations to seal a final seat-sharing pact are still underway.

IMAGE: NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar in conversation with Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole during a Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) meeting, in Mumbai. Photograph: ANI Photo

Addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut said consensus has been reached on 270 out of total 288 seats for the November 20 elections.

"We will include the Samajwadi Party, the PWP (Peasants and Workers Party), the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist), the CPI (Communist Party of India), and the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party). Discussions are still on for the remaining seats. We have amicably arrived at a consensus on 270 seats. MVA stands united to defeat the Mahayuti government," Raut said.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the rest of the seats will be left for smaller parties.

Sena-UBT releases first list of 65 candidates

The Shiv Sena-UBT on Wednesday evening released its first list of 65 candidates for the Maharashtra assembly elections, with former minister Aaditya Thackeray being fielded from his current Worli constituency in central Mumbai.

Yuva Sena leader and Thackeray's cousin Varun Sardesai would contest from Bandra (East) seat in Mumbai.

The party has renominated most of its MLAs who stayed with Uddhav Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022.

In Thane's Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is in the fray, the Shiv Sena-UBT fielded Kedar Dighe. Kedar Dighe is the nephew of late Sena leader Anand Dighe, considered to be Shinde's political mentor.

Elections will be held on November 20.