Once again, MVA fails to reach seat-sharing agreement

MUMBAI: The opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday again failed to reach a solution over the sharing of seats. The dispute over three seats—Sangli, Mumbai South Central and Bhiwandi—continued, as neither the Congress nor the Shiv Sena was ready to take a step back. During the meeting, the top Congress leaders also expressed their resentment before Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray on his declaring candidates for the disputed seats unilaterally.

Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and senior leader Balasaheb Thorat, who were present at the meeting held at Hotel Trident on Thursday evening, raised the issue and said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) ought not to have done that. “We were not expecting this from your party,” the Congress leaders reportedly said in the meeting. “Sangli is our traditional seat so we cannot give it up for you. It is not like the Shiv Sena (UBT) does not have any other seat to contest in western Maharashtra.”

Thackeray, on his part, pointed out that the Sena (UBT) had conceded the Kolhapur seat to the Congress in western Maharashtra. “We have relinquished one seat and want another in exchange. There is nothing wrong in it,” Thackeray reportedly said at the meeting, which was also attended by NCP founder Sharad Pawar.

The strife began when the Sena (UBT) on Wednesday released a list of 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. It also announced Chandrahar Patil and Anil Desai as its candidates from Sangli and Mumbai North West respectively despite the fact that the tug-of-war between it and the Congress for both seats was not yet resolved. The Congress objected strongly to the announcement and expressed its resentment publicly. Its leaders from Sangli have also approached the Congress leadership to look into the matter.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole deliberately abstained from the meeting to express his displeasure, it is said.

The dispute between the Congress and the NCP over the Bhiwandi seat could also not be resolved, insiders said. “Leaders from both the parties continued to make their claims by giving their own reasons, which they believe are valid,” said an insider.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday morning slammed Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam for getting aggressive about the issue. “I don’t know if a leader from the Congress in Sangli wants to indirectly help the BJP,” said Raut without mentioning Kadam’s name. Raut also reminded Congress leaders that his party too had given up its traditional seats such as Kolhapur, Ramtek and Amravati for the Congress.

With inputs from Swapnasaurabha Kulshreshtha