Seat-sharing talks for Maharashtra assembly elections yet to begin in MVA; all are equal stakeholders: Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said seat-sharing talks have not commenced among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies for the Maharashtra assembly elections scheduled later this year, and asserted that all are equal stakeholders in the opposition alliance, reported news agency PTI.

Talking to reporters, Sanjay Raut said the MVA contested the Lok Sabha polls unitedly and showed to the world how Maharashtra stopped the BJP from getting a full majority, reported PTI.

The MVA comprises Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress. The alliance won 30 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"Seat-sharing talks have not yet commenced - neither with the NCP (SP) nor the Congress. So the question of who will contest how many seats doesn't arise. All are equal stakeholders," he said, reported PTI.

"There are 288 (assembly) seats (in Maharashtra). There will be no shortage of seats for anyone. Everyone will contest comfortably," Sanjay Raut said, reported PTI.

His remarks came in the backdrop of a NCP (SP) party leader quoted its supremo Sharad Pawar as saying that his party agreed to contest fewer seats than its MVA allies during the Lok Sabha elections but the situation would be different in the Maharashtra assembly elections.

Raut said that in the Lok Sabha polls, the strike rate of NCP (SP) was the highest as it won eight of the 10 seats it contested, reported PTI.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) won nine of the 21 seats, but it was the most targeted party by the opposition, he claimed.

Raut said the Shiv Sena (UBT) lost two-three seats by a thin margin or else its strike rate too would have been better, reported PTI.

Of the three MVA parties, NCP (SP) strike rate was 80 per cent, the Congress' strike rate was 75 per cent, while that of the Shiv Sena (UBT), which contested the maximum number of seats, was just 41 per cent.

(With inputs from PTI)