Intense negotiations are underway ahead of the crucial assembly elections in Maharashtra. Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was recently in Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sharad Pawar for discussions.
The opposition alliance, MVA/INDIA, which includes the Congress, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray, or 'UBT'), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), aims to build on the momentum from the general elections and challenge the Mahayuti/National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, consisting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar), by capitalising on perceived anti-incumbency.
During the general elections in 2024, the Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 21 seats, the Congress 17, and the NCP (SP) 10. The Shiv Sena (UBT) had the lowest strike rate, winning only nine of the 21 seats (43%), while Congress and NCP (SP) had strike rates of 76% and 80%, winning 13 and eight seats, respectively.
This disparity has led to concerns within the Congress and NCP (SP) that the Shiv Sena (UBT) was allocated more seats than warranted, and that this should not serve as the basis for seat-sharing in the assembly........