In a significant development ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, the ruling Mahayuti coalition has finalized its seat-sharing formula. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with his two deputies—Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar—met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah late on Friday night to solidify the alliance’s strategy.
Sources of India TV reveal that the meeting was crucial for finalizing the distribution of seats among the coalition partners, which include the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). This late-night huddle comes after the BJP held a Central Election Committee meeting on Wednesday, where it released its first list of candidates for the Maharashtra polls.
According to sources, the coalition has agreed to retain Eknath Shinde as the Chief Ministerial face for the elections. Furthermore, if the coalition secures victory, the three parties will share an equal number of ministries, ensuring balanced representation within the government.
The Assembly polls are scheduled for a single phase on November 20, with vote counting set for November 23. The BJP aims to maintain its hold on power in Maharashtra alongside its allies, while facing competition from the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes the Congress, NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). The MVA coalition is looking to build on its success from the recent Lok Sabha elections, where it won 31 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra, raising the stakes for the upcoming state elections.