Amid speculation of internal disagreements within the Mahayuti alliance, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced on Friday that the ruling alliance will finalise its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming state elections within the next three days.
According to Bawankule, 90% of the seat-sharing negotiations have already been completed, with only 10% left to be decided. He confirmed that the BJP will once again contest the majority of seats in Vidarbha, a region where the party has traditionally held a strong presence.
“On October 13, the BJP’s state parliamentary committee will meet to discuss future plans, followed by a meeting of the central parliamentary board,” Bawankule said, adding that the Mahayuti’s seat-sharing discussions at various levels are nearly complete.
Once the final details are agreed upon, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is expected to announce the Shiv Sena candidates, followed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who will reveal the NCP’s slate of candidates.
Reflecting on lessons from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bawankule acknowledged that Mahayuti’s late candidate announcements hurt their campaign efforts. “We had limited time for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections, which affected our performance. This time, we aim to announce seat-sharing early to give candidates ample time to connect with voters,” he explained.
While the Mahayuti alliance (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena under Shinde, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction) prepares for a united contest, other political forces in Maharashtra, such as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), have announced that they will contest independently.
The Mahayuti has confirmed that the elections will be fought under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde, whose role in the alliance is central to their strategy for the upcoming polls.