The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies scheduled to meet today to finalise the seat-sharing deal for the Maharashtra assembly elections. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 3 pm today and another Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting will be held on October 25, as per AICC Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala.
Those expected to be present at the meeting are Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Ramesh Chennithala, and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) supremo Sharad Pawar.
If the seat sharing is to be finalised and the candidate lists are to be out today, then, it is up to veteran Sharad Pawar to play mediator. Prior to this meeting, veteran Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat met Pawar Sr at his residence.
Not only this, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders also met at Pawar's residence on Monday to iron out the differences over seat-sharing.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena has demanded a total of 12 seats in Vidarbha, stating in these 12 seats, they asked for those seats where are no existing MLAs from the Maha Vikas Aghadi bloc, India Today reported.
The Vidarbha assembly seats in contention are Armory, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Bhandara, Chimur, Ballarpur, Chandrapur, Ramtek, Kamthi, South Nagpur, Aheri and Bhadravati Varora. Six of these seats are represented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) whereas three are held by independents.
The Ramtek assembly seat is held by Ashish Jaiswal, an independent MLA who backs the CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Aheri is represented by NCP Ajit Pawar group whereas Bhadravati Varora is currently vacant.
Meanwhile, the Congress is insisting on contesting from the Nashik seat where SS (UBT) has almost decided to field Sudhakar Budjugar. Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut reportedly walked out of the meeting when Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole pressed for the Nashik West seat.
Amid its rift with the grand old party over some seats in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) reportedly finalised the candidature on the Chembur, Sewree, Byculla, Ghatkopar West, Magathane and Kurla assembly seats in Mumbai.
Among the frontrunners are Ramakant Rahate, Manoj Jamsutkar, and Kishori Pednekar for Byculla; Pravina Morajkar for Kurla; Ajay Chaudhar and Sudhir Salvi for Sewree; Prakash Fatarpekar and Anil Patankar for Chembur; Suresh Patil and Sanjay Bhalerao for Ghatkopar West; and Sanjana Ghadi and Udesh Patekar for Magathane.
(With inputs from Ritvick Bhalekar)