Amit Shah In Maharashtra To Finalise Seat-Sharing For Lok Sabha Elections; To Hold Meetings With Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to meet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar on Tuesday (5 March), to discuss the seat-sharing formula for the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats.

Shah's visit is significant as it comes at a time when Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-(Ajit Pawar faction), the alliance partners, are vying for more seats as per a report by The Indian Express.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the largest party in the state, is also facing pressure from its workers who are seeking a larger share of seats.

Out of the 48 seats, the BJP is claiming 30 seats. It is likely that the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena will contest more seats compared to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

"The BJP, along with the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar), will contest all 48 seats and win 45-plus. We are working as a team. The Lok Sabha is a collective responsibility. Wherever there are issues, these will get resolved through discussion," said Chandrashekhar Bawankule, state BJP president.

Shah, who arrived in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar late Monday night, is currently in Akola. He is expected to review pre-poll preparations for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha with Fadnavis, Bawankule, and local leaders. Shah will also address issues in Amravati and Buldhana, where the BJP is in a battle with the Shiv Sena.

At 3 pm, Shah will address a youth conclave in Jalgaon, followed by a meeting with party officials to discuss regional issues. With eight Lok Sabha seats, the region is crucial for the BJP, and the party is working hard to win all seats in Vidarbha and the region.

Later in the evening, Shah will address a public rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the Marathwada region.

Although top BJP leaders downplayed differences within the coalition over seat-sharing, a poll manager admitted, "There are at least half a dozen seats across the state where the BJP is having issues with Shinde- and Pawar-led parties. With Shah convening the meeting, these differences will be settled through some give and take."

"In 2019, BJP with 105 seats was the largest party. Yet, BJP handed the CM’s post on a platter to Eknath Shinde, who has 40 MLAs and the support of 10 Independents. Even the most important finance portfolio was given to Ajit Pawar along with the deputy CM post despite his total strength of 41 MLAs," a senior BJP functionary said.