Maharashtra Election 2024: ‘Not taking part in discussions,’ says Sharad Pawar on MVA seat-sharing talks

Veteran politician Sharad Pawar has said that he is not participating in any seat-sharing discussions with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Pawar, the NCP-SCP chief, said that people in Maharashtra are seeking a change and that the political situation was favourable for opposition MVA.

“I am not participating in the seat-sharing discussions, so it will not be right for me to say anything on that subject. Jayant Patil is present on our behalf in those meetings, he will speak on this subject. From the Congress side, Nana Patole and some of his colleagues and your Sanjay Raut and some of his other colleagues are involved in the discussion,” Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Friday.

The 288 seats of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly will go to polls later this year. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the poll dates.

Pawar, however, said that there were no differences of opinion with the opposition bloc in Maharashtra. “During the Lok Sabha elections, there was no difference of opinion or conflict within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, it happened only in one place, Sangli. Apart from this, no such incident happened in any district or taluka,” he said.

MVA leaders held a meeting to discuss seat sharing for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said that the MVA will make an announcement on several seats before Dussehra and discussion on more than 150 seats was already held.

The Maharashtra election is expected to witness a two-way fight between the MVA coalition, of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP - Sharad Pawar and the Congress, and the Mahayuti Alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar.

In 2019, the NDA had won 43 of the 48 seats from Maharashtra while the then UPA had bagged the remaining five seats.

288 seats discussed

The MVA also held a meeting on Tuesday as well. After attending the meeting, Nationalist Congress Party-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad said that there is no enmity and discussion is happening well.

"It was a long meeting and there is no enmity, discussion is happening well...Around 288 seats were discussed," Awhad said.

The upcoming Maharashtra election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the MahaYuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). (ANI)

"People want change in Maharashtra and this situation is favourable for us...," Pawar said on Friday.