Infighting in MVA over LS poll seat-sharing formula? Congress rejects Uddhav's criterion

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday asserted that the seat-sharing among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections which are yet to be finalised, will be decided on the basis of electoral merit. 

Speaking to ANI, Patole said, "Soon this matter will be resolved. There is a meeting of senior Congress leaders on the 21st of May, and we will send our 3 leaders to it. All seats will be decided on the basis of merit and will be discussed in the committee."

Naseem Khan, working president of the state Congress said that a committee of leaders from all three alliance partners (Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT)) will be formed to take a review of all the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and recommend a formula which will be finalised by the leadership of the three parties. He stated that the seat-sharing will be done on "electoral merits" and there is no criterion that the constituency with a sitting MP belonging to one of the allies will remain with the party. 

Infighting in MVA over seat-sharing?

Notably, earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that the undivided Shiv Sena had won 18 seats in Maharashtra in the 2019 general elections and these seats will remain with his party.

"The Shiv Sena (undivided) won 18 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and one in Daman and Diu in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Even though some of the sitting MPs have defected, the seats were won by the Shiv Sena and they will remain with us," Raut told reporters in Nanded.

Reacting to Raut's statement, Maharashtra Congress neta Naseem Khan said that the 18 seats won by the Shiv Sena in 2019 were in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and it was not a criterion for seat-sharing in the MVA. "This has been decided at the MVA meeting on May 15 convened by (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar where Uddhav Thackeray was also present,” PTI quoted Khan as saying.

(With inputs from Agencies)