Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a series of late-night discussions on Tuesday with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, focusing on seat-sharing arrangements for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. This was followed by a subsequent meeting on Wednesday morning, marking the second discussion within eight hours.
Reports revealed that a consensus was achieved mainly on allocating most seats. BJP’s inclination to contest over 32 seats was evident, while Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s faction was expected to be allocated around three seats.
Chief Minister Shinde was purportedly considered for approximately ten seats, with the remaining four likely to be designated to Shiv Sena candidates.
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The discussions transpired at the Sahyadri State Guest House in the city, where Minister Shah advised both leaders to adopt a diplomatic approach and exhibit reasonableness in seat demands.
Despite the BJP announcing 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on March 2, none were allocated for Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar is reportedly organizing a review of nearly 16 Lok Sabha constituencies during Amit Shah’s visit to the state. The Ajit Pawar camp currently holds only one Lok Sabha seat, represented by Sunil Tatkare in Raigad.
Minister Shah’s itinerary includes a two-day visit to the state. On Tuesday, he visited Sambhajinagar in the Marathwada region, which was pivotal in the Maratha reservation discourse. Subsequently, he conducted a roadshow and a public gathering in Sambhajinagar, historically a Shiv Sena bastion, for over two decades.
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