Mumbai, Oct 18 (PTI) Amid an impasse over seat-sharing among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties in poll-bound Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday cautioned that haggling among allies, particularly the Congress, must not be allowed to reach a breaking point.
Addressing a press conference, the Sena (UBT) chief maintained he has not heard from his party leaders involved in seat-sharing talks with other MVA constituents that there was any major issue in clinching a deal for the November 20 elections to the 288-member assembly.
Seat-sharing talks among partners in the opposition alliance — the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) — were in final stages and a deal could be sealed by Saturday or in the next 2 to 3 days, Thackeray emphasised.
“Haggling among allies must not be allowed to reach a breaking point,” the former CM cautioned as talks among MVA parties for allocation of seats dragged on.
Thackeray asserted the political scenario in Maharashtra has changed and people have decided to bring the opposition MVA to power in the assembly polls.
Four days after the Election Commission declared schedule for the assembly polls, neither the opposition MVA nor the ruling Mahayuti — comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP — have announced their much-awaited seat-sharing pact, indicating hard bargaining among parties.
While Thackeray appeared cautious in his remarks over reaching a consensus, his party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was more harsh in his criticism aimed at Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole.
He claimed state Congress leaders were not capable of taking decisions on distribution of assembly constituencies and sought to instil a sense of urgency in wrapping up talks as just a month is left for voting.
“The pending decision should be expedited. Very little time is left (for voting). Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. They have to send the list to Delhi (central leadership) frequently and then discussions happen. The decision (on constituency allocation) will have to be taken at the earliest,” Raut emphasised.
Raut informed the three MVA partners have reached a consensus on 200 of the 288 assembly seats.
The Rajya Sabha MP disclosed that he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik and the party’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Friday morning over seat-sharing.
The Sena (UBT) leader said he would also speak to top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the matter.
Reacting to Raut’s remarks, MPCC president Patole noted there was a stalemate in the MVA over 25 to 30 assembly seats, and maintained the party’s state unit will abide by any decision its high command takes on the matter.
Patole did not elaborate further, but the stalemate is believed to be on several seats, particularly in Mumbai and Vidarbha, where MVA parties are making competing claims, thus delaying a final pact.
Talking to reporters, the state Congress president noted the MVA’s seat-sharing talks concluded on Thursday night (October 17).
“There are roughly 48 seats in the Shiv Sena (UBT) list and we (Congress) have given up our claim on 18 of them. There are 25 to 30 seats where there is a dispute. We have informed our party high command about it, and we will abide by whatever decision our leadership takes on this,” Patole said.
“Will (Sena-UBT leader) Sanjay Raut and (NCP SP’s Maharashtra chief) Jayant Patil take any final decision without consulting (their party chiefs) Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively?” the Congress leader asked, seeking to deflect criticism on delay in clinching a pre-poll pact.
Responding to speculation in a section of the media that the Sena (UBT) will not attend MVA’s further meetings on seat-sharing if Patole remains present at them, he insisted there was no substance in such talks and claimed these reports have been “planted”. PTI PR MR KRK NR RSY
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