Mission Maharashtra: Udhav's Shiv Sena likely to release its first candidate list during Navratri 

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is likely to release its first list of candidates for assembly polls during Navratri. Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, said on Saturday that Sena won 60 seats in 2019 and it will go beyond that. He said once the seat-sharing was finalised, his party would announce the first list. 

Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress have been engaged in hectic negotiations for seat-sharing in Maharashtra. So far, no clarity has emerged as Uddhav's camp and Congress push for more seats in Mumbai, a stronghold of Shiv Sena.  

India Today earlier this month reported that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) reached an initial seat-sharing consensus for around 120-130 constituencies. As per the agreement, the majority of the seats won by each party in the 2019 elections will be contested by the same parties. However, changes will be made for around 10 to 20 per cent of the seats.

"We don't actually need to convey to someone officially that they will contest the elections. It's a question of understanding. Accordingly, many of our leaders have already started preparing for the elections," Danve said. Since the 2019 polls, the original Shiv Sena has split, with the party name and its 'bow and arrow' symbol going to the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena is a partner in the ruling coalition of Mahayuti, which comprises BJP and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

Danve belongs to the other faction, Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by Uddhav Thackeray. Danve said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently visited Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and talked of winning 30 out of 46 seats in the Marathwada region.

He said he was not sure the BJP would even contest on 30 seats in Marathwada. "BJP cadres are being told to persuade workers from other parties to join their camp, but their members are switching to our side. The entire BJP unit of Vaijapur joined us recently. Even those from BJP's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (West) unit have also joined us."

The MVA, after a solid performance in the Lok Sabha elections, is confident of wresting the state from the NDA. The opposition won 31 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, while the ruling Mahayuti managed to secure only 17. 

Assembly elections in Maharashtra will likely be held in November.