The opposition alliance in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has reached a consensus on seat-sharing for the upcoming state assembly elections. Each of the three major parties will contest 85 seats.

Congress President’s Statement on Seat Sharing

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole confirmed the agreement, saying, “We’ve decided that Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (UBT) will each contest on 85 seats. Discussions regarding the remaining 18 seats, including talks with alliance partners like the Samajwadi Party, will be finalized soon.” He expressed confidence that the MVA would contest as a united front and form the next government. Shiv Sena (UBT) also declared the first list of 65 candidates for the upcoming election.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader’s Remarks

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut echoed this sentiment, confirming that the alliance has agreed on the seat-sharing formula. He noted that the final decision was made under the guidance of Sharad Pawar, saying, “We are all together here. Sharad Pawar instructed us to announce the MVA seat-sharing formula.”

According to Raut, the three parties Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP will share 85 seats each, making up a total of 270. Discussions on the remaining seats will be held in the near future, with the MVA planning to contest all 288 assembly seats.

Election Dates

The Maharashtra Assembly elections, for the 288-member house, will take place in a single phase on November 20, with the results expected on November 23.