Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 20: After the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) expressed strong reservations over the seat-sharing arrangements in Jharkhand, the stand-off between the Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction seems to have intensified in Maharashtra creating rift in the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of the opposition parties.
Even as the three-party “Mahayuti” alliance has already finalised its seat-sharing arrangements and the BJP declared its first list of 99 candidates, including the deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the rift within the MVA alliance of Shiv Sena’s Thackeray faction, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), now finds itself in a deepening crisis over seat-sharing talks despite that the polling is exactly a month away.
Despite repeated meetings, including a marathon 10-hour session at the Trident Hotel on Saturday, no resolution has been reached and the party sources said following the stand-off, the leaders of the Thackeray faction are reportedly approaching the Congress high command in Delhi. The Thackeray faction has called for an emergency meeting at Matoshree, where Uddhav Thackeray is expected to discuss the course of action.
After the Haryana debacle, the Congress high command is adopting cautions approach and not to squander away opportunities in over-confidence, but the local Congress leaders seem to be refusing to learn any lesson from Haryana and continuing to show big brother attitude to the annoyance of other alliance partners.
In Jharkhand, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav publicly expressed his dissatisfaction over the Congress – Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) deciding to consume 70 seats among them leaving only 11 seats to the RJD and other alliance partners to decide among themselves, in Maharashtra, allocation of crucial seats in regions such as Vidarbha, Mumbai and Nashik are learnt to be causing disagreement between the Congress and the Sena (UBT).
One of the key flashpoints is Nashik West, where the Thackeray faction has been pushing for Sudhakar Badgujar’s candidacy. However, the Congress remains adamant on fielding its candidate. The situation escalated during the late-night meeting, as Congress leader Nana Patole’s insistence on Nashik West reportedly led to a walkout by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. This episode exemplifies the increasing friction within the alliance.
Vidarbha has emerged as another significant battleground in the ongoing seat-sharing talks. The Thackeray faction has staked claim on 12 key seats, including prominent constituencies such as Armori, Chimur and Ramtek. These are currently held by either the BJP or independent candidates, and the Thackeray faction argues that as these seats are not currently held by MVA incumbents, their claim is justified. However, the Congress has been unwilling to concede several of these seats.
Apart from Vidarbha and Nashik West, other contentious seats include South Nagpur, where Congress candidate Girish Pandav is vying for a ticket, but the Thackeray faction has also expressed interest. In Yavatmal, both Congress and NCP are competing for the seat, creating further complications in negotiations. Similarly, the Akola West constituency, traditionally contested by the Congress, is now being sought by Rajesh Mishra of the Thackeray faction.
An underlying reason for the deadlock is the seat adjustment made during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Back then, the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had ceded its Ramtek and Amravati Lok Sabha seats to the Congress as part of the alliance’s strategy to defeat the BJP.
Now, with the assembly elections approaching, the Thackeray faction believes it is entitled to a greater share of the seats, particularly in Vidarbha, where it wants to contest from constituencies such Gadchiroli, Bhandara, and Arjuni Morgaon. However, the Congress has refused to back down, claiming strong electoral interests in these regions, further fuelling the friction.
The situation is equally complex in constituencies such as Karanja and Jalgaon Jamod, where Sharad Pawar’s NCP is pushing for its candidates despite the Congress’s hold on these seats. In Digras, Congress veteran Manikrao Thakre’s son is lobbying for a ticket, while the Thackeray faction advocates for Pawan Jaiswal.
With tensions reaching a boiling point, the Thackeray faction, feeling sidelined, has called for an emergency meeting at Matoshree. Uddhav Thackeray is expected to discuss the course of action with party leaders. The meeting could determine whether the faction continues negotiations within the MVA or considers other options.
The ongoing deadlock threatens to delay the finalisation of seat-sharing agreements, with assembly elections fast approaching. If the MVA leaders fail to resolve their differences, the alliance could face a serious risk of disintegration. This would be a significant setback for the opposition’s strategy to present a united front against the BJP in Maharashtra.