By Rahil Nora Chopra
The fight for Maharashtra assembly elections has commenced, with ruling alliance Mahayuti, comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, aiming to retain the power. While the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Congress, eyeing to secure a majority and overthrow the present government. The MVA has so far agreed on the distribution of 160 seats among its constituents; these allocations have been primarily based on factors such as existing legislators, the party's strength in the constituency, and the perceived ability of the candidate to win. But the remaining 128 seats are a point of contention. The primary flashpoints are in Mumbai and Vidarbha. The Congress is demanding 42 seats in Vidarbha, which the party sees as a vital battleground for securing power in the state. In Mumbai, Congress could fight in around 14 seats, while two seats could be given to the NCP (SP) and one seat to the Samajwadi Party. The Sena (UBT) is fighting in around 19 seats out of the total 36. On the other hand, in a two-day visit to Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held meetings and talks with alliance partners on seat-sharing agreements. As per reports, the tentative seat allocation has been that the BJP is set to contest on around 155 seats, the Shiv Sena gets 85-90, and the NCP gets around 45. The final agreement is expected to be announced soon.
