MUMBAI : The ruling MahaYuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi continued to scramble to complete seat-sharing talks on a day the ED announced the parliamentary poll schedule.
Sources said Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde along with his deputy CM Ajit Pawar is likely to fly to Delhi to meet the top BJP leadership before giving final touches to the MahaYuti seat-sharing formula.
“It is almost done: 30 seats for the BJP, 11 for Shiv Sena (Shinde) and seven for the NCP (Ajit Pawar). We have taken feedback, besides receiving a survey report. The BJP wants to have the lion’s share in the 48 Lok Sabha seats,” said a senior BJP leader.
He said there will be honourable seat adjustment among the MahaYuti allies. “Wracking our brains on a couple of seats will damage us in transferring votes. We are being extra careful,” said another senior BJP leader.
CM Shinde hoped that seat sharing will take place amicably. An NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader said no one wants to contest against the party as an independent due to the large voter size.
On the other hand, Sharad Pawar met Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, state Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithela and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday at his residence.
Pawar has been playing the peace-maker’s role between Uddhav-led Shiv Sena and the Congress. Both are fighting over Kolhapur and Sangali Lok Sabha seat. Congress wants to contest both seats and they have strong candidates as well. But Shiv Sena argues that last time they had a sitting LS MP from Kolhapur and strong base in Sangali, so both seats should be given to them. He said Congress would contest 20 seats while Shiv Sena (UBT) 18, Sharad Pawar-led NCP will contest 10 Lok Sabha seats.