Ajit Pawar: No seat-sharing talk held for upcoming polls among Mahayuti partners

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar/ X

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, dismissed any ongoing discussions about seat allocation within the ruling alliance for the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Speaking to the press in Pune, Pawar emphasized the stability of the Mahayuti government, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP factions, highlighting the unity of all 200 MLAs and the state's progress under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's leadership.

Clarifying recent speculations about his health, Pawar addressed claims of a political illness after his 15-day struggle with dengue. Dismissing rumours of a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to air grievances, Pawar emphasised his non-complaining nature.

"I suffered from dengue for 15 days. However, some people claimed that I had a political illness, it is nothing like that. Some even alleged that I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to complain. But, I am not the one to complain," Pawar was quoted in the report as saying.

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Regarding the election talks, Pawar affirmed that no discussions had taken place yet due to ongoing assembly elections in other states. He stressed that discussions about Maharashtra's upcoming polls had not commenced.

Addressing the pressing issue of water scarcity, Pawar acknowledged the drought-like situation in the state. He announced an imminent meeting involving the chief minister, deputy chief ministers, and collectors to strategize plans aimed at resolving the water crisis.

"There are assembly elections underway in some states. Hence, no talks have been held so far about the elections in Maharashtra," he said and added, "There is a drought-like situation. A meeting will soon be held with the chief minister, deputy chief ministers and collectors to address the issue, and plans will be made to tackle the situation."

Opposition forms a coordination committee

The Maha Vikas Aghadi meanwhile, in preparation for the upcoming polls, have formed a nine-member committee where representatives from each constituency have been appointed to navigate through complex decisions around seat-sharing in Maharashtra, according to a report in PTI.

The newly formed committee's goal and formation were verified by well-known Congressman Prithviraj Chavan, a member. Three main parties make up the MVA alliance: the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), and the Shiv Sena (UBT). Maharashtra has 48 seats in the Lok Sabha, which places it second in size only behind Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats.

The Congress leadership in the state would first call a meeting to clarify its stance in the impending seat-sharing negotiations with other MVA partners, according to a quotation from Chavan in the newspaper. He clarified that discussions with the allies of the coalition would be used to decide the precise details of the seat-sharing mechanism.