Mumbai

After the 11-day Ganeshotsav festivities, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has begun intense negotiations for seat-sharing in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The coalition partners Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) are aiming to secure the majority of the 288 available seats, with some reserved for smaller allies.

The Congress, which led the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is expected to vie for about 125-130 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) is targeting around 90-100 seats, while NCP (SP) aims for 75-80 seats. A few seats will be allocated to smaller partners.

Despite initial speculation that each party would focus on their strongholds, this election cycle will see a significant level of negotiation due to changes in the political landscape since 2019. The MVA leadership has held multiple discussions, and a final seat-sharing agreement is expected within the next few days.

Key regions like Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Konkan, Western Maharashtra, and Vidarbha will be crucial. The parties are working to avoid conflicts over seats, similar to past disputes, and have organized district-level coordination meetings to ensure vote consolidation.

With CM Eknath Shinde suggesting mid-November for the polls, political activity is heating up among all major parties, including the ruling Mahayuti coalition, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and influential pressure groups like the Marathas.