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Journalism of Courage
Even as Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday announced a seat- sharing formula in which 85 seats each were allotted to all the three major parties – Shiv Sena(UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – two of the allies are still hoping to contest in 100 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls.
While Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Sanjay Raut exuded confidence on Thursday that the party would contest in 100 seats, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also claimed that most of the 15 seats which are yet to be divided among the allies will go to the Congress, taking the party’s total tally between 100-105 seats.
Elections in Maharashtra to elect legislators from 288 constituencies are scheduled on November 30.
“We are already near century (100 seats in seat-sharing arrangment)… If we hit two-four sixes, then we will complete the century. We have reached 85. And The game is not over yet, the game is still on. There is one more day left of the game so we will take the remaining runs too,” Raut said.
He indicated that in the last moment there could be exchange of seats and change of candidates.
The 85-85-85 seat-sharing deal was seen as a major climbdown to the Congress party which was hoping to contest more than 100 seats. Of the remaining 33 seats, 18 were meant for smaller allies. The three leading coalition partners would have to take a call on dividing the other 15 seats.
The Congress is still pushing for more seats anticipating a lion’s share of the 15 seats.
On Thursday, Congress leader Wadettiwar also said that these 15 seats will be exchanged between the three parties in such a way that Congress’s total seats will be between 100 and 105.
“But basically, while allotting seats, we have decided to allot seats on the basis of merit without thinking about how many seats to whom,” Wadettiwar said.
Wadettiwar said that the first list of Congress is likely to come out on Thursday or Friday. “This will be the list of 54 candidates. We have also got the approval of the Central Selection Committee. The remaining seats will be discussed in the meeting tomorrow. Almost 85 per cent of Congress seats will be announced tomorrow evening,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sena’s Sanjay Raut clarified that there would be a rectification in the list issued by the party on Wednesday. “Shiv Sena officially never releases a list. A list has come up on X on Wednesday. But that list has some mistakes which needs to be rectified. We will rectify the mistakes by evening,” the MP said, indicating that the candidates and seats announced in Wednesday’s list could be changed.
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