Maharashtra: 'BJP largest party, will contest more seats,' says Devendra Fadnavis on NCP's 80-90 seat demand

Not all is well within the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra as deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the BJP is the largest party and will contest on more seats in the upcoming assembly elections. He, however, added that the seat-sharing formula will be finalised only after leaders of the three parties meet and discuss on the same. 

The Mahayuti alliance comprises the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the BJP, and chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. "However, the seat-sharing formula will be finalised only after leaders of the three parties meet and discuss," Fadnavis said. 

Fadnavis was commenting on Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chaggan Bhujbal's demand that his party should be given 80-90 seats to contest in the assembly elections. Assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held in the later part of 2024. 

While addressing a party meeting, the senior NCP leader said that when the Ajit Pawar-led NCP joined the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, it was assured of getting 80-90 seats to fight on in the state elections. He further said that the party got very few seats to contest in the Lok Sabha polls.

In the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP was given only 4 seats to contest -- Baramati, Shirur, Raigad and Dharashiv (Osmanabad) -- out of the total 48 seats as per the ruling alliance's seat-sharing formula. While the BJP being the largest party contested on 29 seats, chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena got 15 seats in its kitty. 

"We must tell them (BJP) that we want more seats to contest so that we could win around 50-60 seats," Bhujbal said. He further said, "If we get 50 seats to contest because of the current number of MLAs with the party, how many will actually get elected out of those 50." In the 2019 state elections, the BJP won 105 seats whereas the undivided NCP bagged 54 out of the 288 seats. 

Moreover, deputy CM Ajit Pawar told NCP workers that one should neither be hysterical about electoral victory nor disheartened by defeat. "Election is a test of workers. No one should be hysterical about an election victory, nor should one be disheartened by defeat," he said. He added that the party organisation would be strengthened ahead of the Vidhan Sabha elections.

Ajit Pawar has called a meeting of all senior NCP leaders and MLAs to figure out a strategy for the state polls and to hold a review meet of the Lok Sabha polls to gauge if it was beneficial being a part of the Mahayuti or not. 

He further explained that in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the opposition managed to win only 7 seats, thus, the NCP did not have much scope to demand more seats during the Lok Sabha elections. Pawar, however, assured party workers that every worker and leader would get an equal opportunity in the state elections. 

NCP executive president Praful Patel said, "We have good strength and we will get an appropriate share in seat distribution. Now even BJP knows that it is necessary to make arrangements on some seats to get power back in the state."

Ajit Pawar furthermore stated that he has told senior leaders in the ruling alliance that a delay in announcing the candidate for Nashik Lok Sabha constituency benefitted the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The MVA comprises the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT). 

(With inputs from PTI, Ritvick Arun Bhalekar)