Maharashtra political alliances face seat-sharing disputes ahead of council polls

Political alliances in Maharashtra are facing internal friction as they prepare for the biennial Legislative Council elections scheduled for October 23. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Shiv Sena (UBT), is struggling to finalize seat-sharing agreements.

Tensions within the MVA arose after the Congress announced three candidates—Abhijit Wanjari for the Nagpur Division Graduates' constituency, Jayant Dinkar Asagaonkar for the Pune Division Teachers' seat, and newcomer Aditi Pohare for the Amravati Teachers' constituency—without prior consultation with its allies. A meeting between senior leaders of the MVA remained inconclusive regarding the distribution of the five available seats.

Meanwhile, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is also navigating disagreements. While a formula has been proposed where the BJP contests three seats and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sunetra Pawar-led NCP contest one seat each, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has not yet accepted the arrangement, specifically seeking additional influence in the Pune Teachers’ constituency.