Following the INDIA Bloc's success in the Lok Sabha elections, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is gearing up for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections with a dual strategy. Thackeray has devised both Plan 'A' and Plan 'B' to secure victory. Plan 'A' involves remaining in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and contesting elections in alliance with Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP. If alliance talks progress, Thackeray aims to contest traditional seats under the 2019 formula, which was also used in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Previously, Shiv Sena contested 22 Lok Sabha seats and 124 assembly seats, winning nine seats in the recent alliance. Thackeray's strategic planning indicates a strong bid for success in the upcoming assembly elections.
In the Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray's group achieved unexpected success. Buoyed by this victory, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has started preparations for the assembly elections. The Thackeray group has prepared to contest 125 out of 288 seats in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) party chief Uddhav Thackeray held an important meeting with senior leaders including Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai, Subhash Desai, Sunil Prabhu, and Rajan Vikhare. In this meeting, a consensus was reached on preparing the strategy for contesting elections in major assembly constituencies. However, due to this claim by Shiv Sena, allies NCP and Congress may face difficulties.
Recently, the Legislative Council elections were held, where Jayant Patil of the MVA was defeated. Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) candidate Milind Narvekar received 22 first preference votes, including six from the Thackeray group, one independent vote, and seven votes from Congress. Although only one vote kept him from a first-round victory, second preference votes secured his win. Narvekar's victory, supported by Congress votes, was preceded by significant political drama.
Ahead of the Legislative Council elections, Uddhav Thackeray and Congress regional in-charge Ramesh Chennithala held a meeting, attended by prominent leaders from Congress, Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction). Congress leaders were divided on whether to support Milind Narvekar or Shekap's Jayant Patil, resulting in a challenging situation for Narvekar. Ultimately, Uddhav Thackeray warned of quitting the MVA, leading to Narvekar's victory.
In light of the Legislative Council election experience, the Thackeray group has adopted an aggressive stance. Thackeray reviewed 125 assembly constituencies in a recent meeting and discussed setting up a war room with a dedicated 'think tank' to target these areas. Shiv Sena (UBT) will claim these seats based on previous election margins and categorize them into three groups: A, B, and C.
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the undivided Shiv Sena contested 124 seats while in the NDA, leaving 164 seats for BJP and other allied parties. Uddhav Thackeray insisted on contesting 22 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, maintaining the same seat-sharing arrangement as in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The party aims to adopt the same formula for the assembly elections. Following the MVA's impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole announced that the party will not settle for fewer than 150 seats in the upcoming assembly elections. In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the undivided Shiv Sena and NCP won 56 and 54 seats respectively, while Congress secured 44 seats.
