After intensive negotiations, the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), have hammered out a deal on the seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. NCP leader Ajit Pawar managed to secure four seats for his faction to compete in—Baramati, Raigarh, Shirur, and Parbhani—while the BJP will put forward candidates in 31 constituencies, and the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde will chase victories in 13 seats.
Baramati remains a stronghold for the Pawars, but the family faces internal strife due to Ajit Pawar’s recent party split. Supriya Sule, currently representing Baramati, may find herself competing against her own sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar. Raigarh will witness Sunil Tatkare, NCP’s Maharashtra president and current MP, contending against the prospective candidate from Uddhav Thackeray’s camp, Anant Geete, a former union minister. Shirur and Parbhani will observe other strategic moves by NCP with candidates like Pradeep Kand or Adhalrao Patil and a challenge to Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, from Parbhani, by Rajesh Vitekar, respectively.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and the NCP (SP), is facing a game of thrones regarding the remaining seats for their coalition. Mumbai South-Central, Bhiwandi, Nashik, and Ramtek are at the heart of their debate. Congress believes Mumbai South-Central is viable, while Thane’s Bhiwandi is sought after by both Congress and the NCP (SP). Nashik’s seat is traditionally split between NCP (NCP) and Uddhav’s Sena, adding complexity to the coalition’s strategic planning.
Alliances are being tested as both factions are mindful of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) influence and the possible realignment with the BJP, with all parties including Sharad Pawar making efforts to persuade the VBA to join their front. Every seat counts in the political chessboard of Maharashtra’s Lok Sabha elections, and the upcoming rally in Mumbai on March 17 will kickstart the high-stakes electoral campaign.