Maharashtra Polls: MVA Leaders Dismiss Rift Hubbub; Alliance Likely To Finalise Seat-Sharing Formula Today

"We have arrived at a consensus on 210 seats. It is a significant achievement. We aim to contest polls as a joint force and we will defeat the forces looting Maharashtra," Raut, a key strategist for the Shiv Sena (UBT), was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The Rajya Sabha MP also dismissed the hubbub about a purported phone call with Union Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. "The BJP is feeding false news. We know who is doing it. The party fears loss in the assembly polls so is spreading misinformation," he said, while responding to queries about the purported conversation with Shah.

The same sentiment was echoed by Shiv Sena (UBT)'s MVA ally Congress, with Nana Patole, the Maharashtra unit chief of the grand old party, saying, "The BJP is deliberately spreading such misconceptions about the (state) Opposition parties. It will lose badly in the assembly elections." 

While rejecting speculations about Shiv Sena (UBT) seeking to rejoin hands with the BJP, with which the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the undivided Shiv Sena had parted ways after the 2019 Assembly polls, he said, "The BJP is playing such games due to a fear of defeat looming over it. The entire MVA is united and working together to uproot the Mahayuti."

The Mahayuti alliance, a subset of the country's ruling NDA, is up against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Opposition bloc, which comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar. In the Lok Sabha election held earlier this year, the MVA made a spectacular stride by winning 30 out of the 48 parliamentary seats spread across Maharashtra.

The voting for the Assembly election in Maharashtra is set to take place on November 20 and the counting is scheduled for November 23. On Sunday, the BJP released its first list of 99 candidates. Patole and his party colleague Vijay Wadettiwar, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, confirmed on Monday that the MVA's seat-sharing formula will be finalised by Tuesday evening.

"There are issues on 6-7 seats in Vidarbha and that too will be resolved. We are going to contest as Aghadi...Since there are 3 parties sharing 288 seats, it took a little time...Final decision on all 288 seats for Maha Vikas Aghadi will be made by tomorrow evening," Wadettiwar said.

(With inputs from agencies)