BJP Offers 70 Seats to Shinde’s Shiv Sena, 60 to Pawar’s NCP, and Retains 150 for Themselves
Mumbai, 1st July 2024: The BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra has been actively preparing for the upcoming state elections, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar engaging in discussions with BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Home Minister Amit Shah to finalize seat-sharing arrangements. According to sources, the BJP aims to contest over 150 of the 288 available seats in the state.
The BJP has proposed allocating 70 seats to Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena and 60 seats to Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction. However, both parties have requested a larger share of the seats.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 105 seats and garnered support from 10 Independent candidates. Recently, BJP leader and former Union Minister Narayan Rane caused a stir by suggesting that the BJP should contest all 288 seats. Both the Shiv Sena and NCP have downplayed his comments, indicating that they represent his personal views rather than the party’s official stance.
When asked about his preference for seat allocation, Rane remarked, “I believe the BJP should contest all 288 seats.” He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with BJP leaders earlier this week to discuss election strategies.
Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande dismissed Rane’s statement as a personal opinion, while NCP leader Umesh Patil also suggested that it was Rane’s perspective.
Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Naresh Mhaske responded to Rane’s remarks by clarifying that Rane’s views do not reflect the consensus of the party or its leaders. He emphasized that seat allocations will be determined by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar based on the parties’ strengths.
Additionally, Rane has claimed that external influences are behind Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange’s criticisms of Fadnavis, asserting that the party fully supports the deputy chief minister. Rane suggested that Jarange’s stance does not represent the broader Maratha community’s position on reservations.
The BJP remains the dominant party in the Mahayuti government, which includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
