MUMBAI: As the elections are nearing dissidents, who are not sure of getting tickets, have started raising voices over their demands. Individuals and party leaders all appear to be busy trying to get as much bigger the share they can.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale is the first from the ruling combine to do so. He is unhappy with the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance after none of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state has been offered to his party while announcing the alliance.
Athawale, who had staked a claim on Shiv Sena's North Central Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency, which has sizable Dalit votes, for a long time, said while speaking at Nagpur that he won't like to be in the alliance like a slave. While indicating that he has received invitations from the NCP, Athawale reminded the audience of his friendship with NCP leader Sharad Pawar whom he may approach if his demands are not met.
Another leader from ruling combine who is in combative mood is Shiv Sena's Arjun Khotkar, minister of state for textile and animal husbandry in Fadnavis cabinet.
He had staked a claim on state BJP president Raosaheb Danve's Jalna Lok Sabha constituency for a long time and has said that he would contest the seat even though the parties have formed an alliance.
The Congress is angling for Khotkar after he appears to have refused the party leadership's instructions to tone down.
Pune based developer-contractor Sanjay Kakade, who is BJP supported independent Rajya Sabha MP, has staked a claim on Lok Sabha constituency of the city which is currently held by BJP's Anil Shirole.
Kakade had approached his old friends in NCP when he sensed that he may not be able to replace the BJP's seating MP, but the constituency went to Congress in alliance pact increasing Kakade's difficulty.
Kakade had ensured BJP's victory at Pune municipal corporation and wants the party to return the favour.
Though, very confident of winning the seat, he, however, doesn't want to contest as an independent.
On the opposition front, leader of opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is said to be unhappy with the party leadership for not pushing hard enough for the Ahmednagar south Lok Sabha constituency.
Vikhe-Patil has been eyeing the seat for his son Dr Sujay for a long time. In 2014 the Congress had taken Hingoli seat from NCP for its secretary Rajiv Satav.
A similar arrangement should have been made, Vikhe-Patil feels. However, the NCP is not ready to leave the seat though their candidate is yet to be finalised and state Congress leadership too is not too keen about the seat.
Vikhe and Pawar are old adversaries in the state Congress which is why he is being trapped, say the observers, while Vikhe supports have said that Sujay might even seek ticket from the BJP if Congress-NCP continues to ignore the demand.
Another disheartened soul in Congress-NCP led grand alliance is Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief Raju Shetti. Since his demands for at least three seats too was turned down by the grand alliance offering him only his own Hatkanangale seat from Kolhapur, he is likely to contest independently, party sources have said.
Bharip Bahujan Maha Sangh (BBMS) leader Adv Prakash Ambedkar, who has tied up with Owaisi's AIMIM with an aim to amass a sizable chunk of the two major vote banks had demanded 12 seats from the Congress.
However, after the demand was turned down, Ambedkar has made assurance from the Congress that RSS would be made to act within the framework of the constitution, as the precondition for alliance and the Congress has not yet completely ruled out the tie-up.