Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole announced on Wednesday, October 23, that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance partners?Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)?have agreed on a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. According to the finalized formula, each party will contest 85 seats in the 288-member assembly.

Speaking at a press conference alongside NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut, Patole confirmed that talks on a total of "270 seats have been finalized" between the three main MVA allies. As for the remaining 18 seats, Patole stated that they would be allocated to other alliance partners, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and smaller parties within the coalition.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Releases First Candidate List

On the same day, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) revealed its first list of 65 candidates for the assembly polls. Among the high-profile candidates, Aaditya Thackeray will contest from the Worli constituency, while Kedar Dighe is set to challenge Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat. Rajan Vichare will contest from Thane, and Varun Sardesai from Bandra East.

Election Timeline

Maharashtra is gearing up for a high-stakes electoral battle on November 20, when voters across the state will elect representatives to the 288-member assembly. The Election Commission of India has scheduled the vote count for November 23, alongside the Jharkhand assembly results.

This seat-sharing formula represents a major step in solidifying the MVA's strategy for the elections. With all key players now on board, the focus shifts to constituency-level campaigning and alliance coordination, as the political landscape in Maharashtra continues to intensify.