In a bold move, a senior leader from the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called for the party to contest at least 100 of the 288 assembly seats in the upcoming state elections, scheduled for October. This demand was made by former state minister Ramdas Kadam during a function held on Wednesday at the NSCI complex, marking the 58th Foundation Day of the undivided Shiv Sena.

Kadam expressed confidence in the party's prospects, stating, "We should get 100 seats to contest, and we will make sure that we win 90 out of them." The Shiv Sena is part of the Mahayuti coalition, which also includes the BJP and the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar.

This demand comes in the wake of recent remarks by Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who asserted that his party should be allotted 80-90 seats in the state assembly polls. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded by emphasizing that the BJP, being the largest party, would contest the majority of seats. He added that the seat-sharing formula would be finalized after discussions among leaders of the three coalition parties.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Mahayuti coalition secured 17 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. The BJP won 9 seats, the Shiv Sena 7, and the NCP 1. In contrast, the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi—comprising the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar—achieved a significant victory by winning 30 seats.