MVA leaders to hold meet to finalise LS polls seat-sharing

Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut said seat sharing talks were in the last stage and a final decision will be taken on Thursday. “The final discussion on seat sharing will be taken tomorrow (Thursday). A meeting of all MVA leaders has been convened to discuss and decide the matter. We have also invited VBA’s Prakash Ambedkar as well as some other communist and left party leaders,” Raut said.

Even though the Sena UBT and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi formed an alliance a year ago, the VBA is not a part of the MVA, since the Congress and NCP never gave its nod for the party’s inclusion in the opposition alliance. This irked Ambedkar and VBA leaders, and the party had announced going solo in all 48 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction then showed it’s willingness to include VBA in the MVA, however the Congress is yet to take a decision on it and seat sharing discussions remained pending. Now, the MVA inviting Ambedkar for seat sharing talks indicates that the VBA’s inclusion in the MVA has been finalised but the final outcome will be cleared once the seat-sharing formula is finalised.

“Maha Vikas Aghadi seat allocation is almost done. Shiv Sena (UBT) has always been contesting on 23 seats. The Shiv Sena has a huge strength in these 23 constituencies. Hence, I have been saying Shiv Sena candidates will contest and win 23 seats. Congress-NCP is with us. And Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is in alliance with Shiv Sena. VBA surely has a place in MVA and we are going to have a discussion on the seat sharing allotment on Thursday. All three parties are united and we are united to win,” Raut added.

Earlier, Raut had said that the Sena UBT staked claim on 23 seats and will get 23 seats to contest in the LS polls. The demand created friction between Congress and Sena UBT.

When asked if the MVA’s seat allocation formula will be sealed on Thursday, Raut said, “We do not agree with this ‘formula’ word. We are fighting together. One seat going here and there during allocation will not affect much. Ultimately, this is not a numbers game but we are together to win the 48 Lok Sabha seats together. So I don’t believe this formula. If we want to defeat the dictatorship in the country, we have to fight the battle without any formula.”