MVA talks hit a stalemate; Sena (UBT) wants Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole ‘kept out’

Targeting the Congress, specifically Patole, over the stalemate, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said: “There is very little time on hand and the decisions on seat-sharing must be expedited. I think state leaders are not capable of taking any decision on seat-sharing and they have to send a list of everything to Delhi. It is important that the discussion should take place with the central leadership of the Congress.”

Commenting on Raut’s statement, Patole said all leaders of the three MVA parties – Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) – naturally report to their respective leaderships on seat-sharing talks. “We have a CEC (Central Election Committee) meeting on October 20 where the final decision will be taken. There is no confusion among us or no dispute within the MVA. I don’t know in what context Raut made the statement,” Patole said.

A senior Congress leader denied that the Sena (UBT) had expressed any reservations as regards Patole, saying he was acting very much as the Congress’s representative. “Whatever the stalemate, it will be resolved tomorrow (Saturday),” said the senior leader from Delhi.

NCP (SP) leader and former minister Anil Deshmukh said: “We have decided on a majority of the seats. A few seats remain to be discussed and I am sure that talks on them will be over soon.”

“We have decided on a majority of the seats. A few seats remain to be discussed and I am sure that talks on them will be over soon,” NCP (SP) leader and former minister Anil Deshmukh said.

According to sources, the Sena (UBT) has proposed a formula of 100 seats for the Congress and Sena-UBT each, and 88 for the NCP (SP. “Smaller allies and parties can be accommodated within the seats given to each party,” a Sena (UBT) leader said. According to him, Patole, however, has refused to climb down from 125 seats for the Congress, and is not ready to share seats in Vidarbha with the Sena (UBT).

This is believed to have led to a showdown between him and Raut during seat-sharing talks on Thursday.

A Congress source claimed that during a recent visit to Delhi, the party had given Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray a “presentation” where it was conveyed to him “that his party’s actual strength in Maharashtra is not more than 80-85 seats”. “But now the party wants 100 seats at any cost. We will deal with it peacefully,” the Congress leader said.

Raut also claimed that on Friday morning, he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, as well as Chennithala on the matter, and that he would be talking to Rahul Gandhi.

Among the seats under dispute, at least four are said to be from Mumbai – Byculla, Versova, Bandra East and Kurla (SC) – on which both the Congress and Sena (UBT) have staked claim.

Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab said Wednesday that Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai will contest from Bandra East. In the 2019 Assembly polls, the seat had been won by the Congress’s Zeeshan Siddique. However, Siddique, the son of slain leader Baba Siddique, is now with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. With Congress leader Sachin Sawant also keen to contest from this seat, the announcement by Parab has not gone down well.

Another seat in Nagpur has both parties in a conflict. “The Sena (UBT) does not have a winning candidate, but they have asked for a seat. How can we give them a seat there, which we are winning because we have a strong candidate?” a senior Congress leader said.

The Ramtek constituency has the two parties pitted against each other too. The Sena (UBT) has sought a ticket here, though it had given the seat to the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls this year.

The NCP (SP) and the Congress are debating over Hingana seat in Vidarbha’s Wardha district as well.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has asked for the Gangapur Assembly seat in Marathwada. Both the NCP (SP) and Congress have also locked horns over the Jintur Assembly seat in Parbhani district as the former wants to field former MLA Vijay Bhambale while the latter is keen to field Suresh Nagre from the seat. Additionally, the Sena (UBT) wants the Gevrai seat in Beed district from the NCP (SP).

Former Solapur MLA Deepak Salunkhe, who is set to join the Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), is likely to contest from Sangola seat, a traditional seat of ally Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), which may lead to further friction. Besides, the NCP (SP) and Congress are yet to finalise talks over the Man Assembly seat in Satara district.

Additionally, smaller parties within the MVA such as the Samajwadi Party and the CPI (Marxist) have also raised demands, which are yet to be fulfilled by the MVA. In a state convention in Pune on October 16, progressive and Left parties demanded that “the MVA must adopt an inclusive approach in seat-sharing”.