Lok Sabha elections: Seat-sharing finalized by MVA allies in Maharashtra
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra has reportedly finalized a seat-sharing agreement for the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats. According to reports, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) will contest 20 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress will compete for 18. The Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will nominate candidates for the remaining 10 seats. A formal announcement of the agreement is likely soon.
Why does this story matter?
The MVA's seat-sharing agreement is a major boost for the opposition bloc, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), given that the general election is likely only weeks away. In the last few weeks, the bloc, led by the Congress, has finalized previously stalled deals in more than five states. This progress is in line with the goal of the INDIA bloc, which was formed to fight the Bhartiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha elections.
Regional parties and independent candidates to receive seats
Regional parties such as the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBT) are expected to receive two seats from the Sena's (UBT) portion, while Raju Shetty, an independent candidate, would receive one from Pawar's share. In Mumbai, the Thackeray-led party will compete for four of six Lok Sabha seats, one of which—likely the Mumbai North East seat—could go to the VBA.
AAP, Congress confirmed alliance in Delhi, 4 states
Before the deal in Maharashtra, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had reached a seat-sharing pact for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Goa. In Delhi, the AAP will contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress will vie for three. In Gujarat, the Congress will compete on 24 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats, with AAP candidates contesting two seats in Bharuch and Bhavnagar.
West Bengal, a source of concern for INDIA
Uttar Pradesh, which has the second-most Lok Sabha seats after Maharashtra, will see the Congress contest 17 of the 80 seats. The rest, 63, will be for the Samajwadi Party (SP) and other INDIA alliance partners. However, the Trinamool Congress, one of the most influential regional political parties, has yet to seal a deal with the Congress.
Maharashtra 2019 seat tally
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP, which was then in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena, contested 25 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. It won 23 of them. Thackeray's Shiv Sena, on the other hand, won 18 of the 23 seats it contested. Meanwhile, the undivided NCP won four, while the Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won a seat each. An independent candidate also won one seat.
