Maharashtra Opposition Alliance Finalizes Seat-Sharing for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra, comprising the Shiv Sena faction led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar, has reportedly finalized a seat-sharing arrangement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to sources the Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest 20 of the state’s 48 seats, the Congress will contest 18, and the NCP will field candidates in 10 seats. Additionally, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) will receive two seats from the Sena’s share, and an independent candidate, Raju Shetty, will be supported by the NCP.

This agreement marks a significant step forward for the opposition INDIA bloc, which aims to consolidate its efforts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the forthcoming election. The deal was reached after Rahul Gandhi, a leading Congress MP, engaged in discussions with both Thackeray and Pawar, highlighting the importance of unity within the opposition ranks. The allocation of seats in Mumbai, particularly the contentious South Central and North West constituencies, was among the last issues to be resolved, indicating the complex negotiations involved in reaching this consensus.

The MVA’s seat-sharing deal is seen as a crucial development in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, reflecting the opposition’s determination to present a united front against the BJP. In the 2019 elections, the then undivided Sena, allied with the BJP, and the NCP had a different alignment, showing the shifting dynamics within Maharashtra’s political landscape. With this new agreement, the MVA hopes to improve upon its previous electoral performance and challenge the BJP’s dominance in the state.

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