Maharashtra's Opposition MVA Meets Again To Finalise Seat Share

The Congress and Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, who had been facing a deadlock over a handful of seats in Mumbai, Nashik and Vidarbha

Maharashtra's Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is apparently close to finalising the details of seat sharing for next month's assembly elections. A key meeting is being held today, attended by senior leaders from both sides. 

The Congress and Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, who had been facing a deadlock over a handful of seats in Mumbai, Nashik and Vidarbha, are hoping to negotiate for a way out with the good offices of veteran leader Sharad Pawar, the chief of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the moving force behind the three-party alliance since its inception. 

With his intervention, the state leaders of the Congress and the Shiv Sena UBT had come back to the drawing board, reports said. 

Since morning, hectic rounds of meetings are being held -- one of the first being between Congress's Balasaheb Thorat and Mr Pawar.

Another round of meeting has been held in the morning between the Sena UBT and the Congress. A second round is in progress. 

Depending on its conclusions, an announcement is likely within the next couple of days, said Congress's state chief Nana Patole. 

Yesterday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had said that the MVA had reached a consensus on 210 out of 288 assembly seats, while Nana Patole claimed the figure was 96.

The two parties have been bargaining for days as Mr Patole held out for 125 seats while the Sena (UBT) pushing for 100 seats each for it and the Congress, and 88 for Sharad Pawar's party. 

Then came the issue that has been at the heart of the Congress grouse - "Whichever party is strong and meritorious will fight in the respective constituency".

This is the reason why the Congress is holding out for the eight seats in Vidarbha that Mr Thackeray's party wants. Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut has said while there is no doubt about the Congress having a strong base in Vidarbha, "we also had 4-5 MPs from there". 

"If we also get 1 or 2 seats, then there is no harm in it," he has said.

Elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23. The term of the current assembly will end on November 26.