Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections 2024 are less than a month away. Political activity in the state is in top gear. While Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already announced its first candidate list with names of 99 candidates, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is still in a huddle and sorting out issues over seat sharing. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) have not yet announced their candidate lists yet. It is expected that the lists would be announced in couple days, the constituent parties in the alliance are still sparring over some seats.

As of October 21, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are not on the same page over 12 seats in the Vidarbha region. Media reports say that both parties are still negotiating and the issue has even reached Delhi.

Shiv Sena, from the time it was undivided, has been seen as a party which does well in urban areas in the state. The NCP strongholds are mostly in the western Maharashtra region. While Congress has traditionally been strong in north Maharashtra, some areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha.

The Congress is not in the mood to concede after Shiv Sena (UBT) claim on 12 seats in Vidarbha.

“How can we let go of seats like Warora, Dhamangaon Railway, Ramtek or Nagpur South? While we have a history of winning these seats, they do not have candidates here. The demands are unreasonable,” said an unnamed Congress leader as quoted by Indian Express.

Shiv Sena (UBT) held a meeting of its top leaders at Matoshree in Mumbai on Sunday (October 20) and it is known that the party is not in a mood to relent over these seats.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has been mediating between the two parties.