Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats within the state, the BJP desires 30, stated sources.

Mumbai:

Finalising seat-sharing in Maharashtra, which sends the second-highest variety of MPs to the Lok Sabha, has confirmed to be tough for the National Democratic Alliance, with all three key companions – the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP – pushing for the next variety of seats than the others are prepared to concede. With BJP’s chief troubleshooter and Union Home Minister Amit Shah holding a late-night assembly on Tuesday with leaders of the opposite events, sources stated a breakthrough is anticipated quickly.

Party sources stated the assembly began round 10.15 pm and Mr Shah held a dialogue with Deputy Chief Minister Pawar within the presence of BJP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the primary half-hour, after which the 2 leaders left. The subsequent 50 minutes noticed talks between the Home Minister and Chief Minister Shinde. 

Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats within the state, the BJP desires 30 to have the ability to obtain its twin targets of profitable 370 seats nationally and taking the NDA to the 400 mark. Sources stated the occasion is prepared to go away 12 seats from the Shiv Sena and 6 for the NCP, a prospect the opposite companions of the Mahayuti – because the alliance is thought in Maharashtra –  usually are not proud of. 

Pointing out that the Sena image and identify are with him, Chief Minister Shinde, sources stated, has been pushing to be allotted 23 seats, the identical quantity that the undivided Shiv Sena had contested within the 2019 Lok Sabha polls – earlier than the cut up in 2022. Failing that, Mr Shinde and his occasion are reportedly able to accept 18 seats, which the Shiv Sena had received within the final Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP’s division of constituencies with the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had induced heartburn on either side even in 2019. The nationwide occasion had contested 25 seats and received 23 whereas the Sena had contested 23 and received 18. The BJP camp, sources stated, believes it’s entitled to a bigger share than final time given PM Narendra Modi’s reputation and the very fact that it’s the single-largest occasion within the Maharashtra Assembly. 

Complicating issues, nonetheless, is the entry of Ajit Pawar’s NCP, which joined the federal government final yr and is pushing for 10 Lok Sabha seats. The then Sharad Pawar-led united NCP had solely received 4 in 2019.

Contentious Seats

Sources stated whereas a consensus is rising on most different seats, 10 are proving to be a bone of rivalry. These are Kalyan, South Mumbai, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Shirur, Amravati, Sambhajinagar Nagar, Hingoli, Nashik, Ramtek and Maval

In Kalyan, Chief Minister Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde is the sitting MP, however the native unit of BJP desires to contest from the constituency. The BJP claims Kalyan is a conventional seat of the occasion which it had given to Shiv Sena in 2019 underneath stress from Uddhav Thackeray. Union Minister Anurag Thakur had additionally performed a evaluate of the constituency and apprised the central management.

Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is the sitting MP from the South Mumbai constituency and the Shinde faction is eager to contest on it as a result of it’s historically a Sena seat. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar from the BJP has, nonetheless, additionally proven curiosity.

In Pune district’s Maval, Shrirang Barne from the Shinde Sena is the sitting MP.  But Ajit Pawar is eager on this seat as his son, Parth Pawar, had misplaced to Mr Barne in 2019.

Ratnagiri-Sindhadurg within the Konkan area is a Shiv Sena seat however Narayan Rane claimed it for the BJP final week in a publish on X. Strongly opposing this, Ramdas Kadam of the Shinde Sena had requested whether or not the BJP wished to get rid of each occasion and contest the Lok Sabha election alone. 

Shirur in Pune district has confirmed to be one other level of friction. Amol Kolhe from the NCP (Sharadchanrd Pawar) is the sitting MP and the seat is now being claimed by the Ajit Pawar faction. The intent to beat Mr Kolhe has been introduced by Mr Pawar himself, however former MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil from Mr Shinde’s Shiv Sena can also be eager on throwing his hat within the ring. 

Navneet Rana is the impartial MP from Vidarbha’s Amravati and the BJP has supplied the constituency to her to contest on its ticket. The Shinde Sena’s Anandrao Adsul, a former MP, has additionally claimed the seat. 

Sambhaji Nagar in Aurangabad is the lone seat received by the AIMIM in Maharashtra and Imtiaz Jaleel is the sitting MP. Though the constituency has been historically fought by the Shiv Sena, which plans to area Minister Sandeepan Bhumre, the BJP desires it for Union Minister of State for Finance, Bhagwat Karad.

A seat which is being eyed by all three members of the Mahayuti is Nashik. Hemant Godse from the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena is the sitting MP, however the NCP is eager on fielding somebody from Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s household and the BJP has additionally staked declare. 

In Aurangabad’s Hingoli, Sena’s Hemant Patil is the sitting MP and had supplied to resign in the course of the Maratha reservation protest. The BJP can also be, nonetheless, taken with fielding its candidate.

Krupal Tumane of the Sena is the sitting MP from Ramtek in Nagpur seat however the native BJP cadre need the constituency for the occasion. They are, nonetheless, prepared to accept Mr Tumane combating on a BJP ticket, sources stated.