The Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting was canceled by Congress, directing its Maharashtra leaders to remain in Delhi. The party is now anticipating the next steps of Shiv Sena (UBT).
According to insiders from the NCP(SP), Sharad Pawar is reportedly considering stepping in to address the disagreements between the two factions.
Amidst the BJP unveiling its initial roster of 99 contenders for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, the impasse regarding seat allocation between Congress and Shiv Sena, key members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, persisted with no resolution in sight. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar, the head of the NCP party within the MVA alliance, seemed to have been tasked with a mediation role.
The grand old party decided to cancel its Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting over the weekend, effectively putting an end to any potential discussions on seat-sharing. Instead, they instructed the state leadership to remain in Delhi while Sena (UBT) leaders convened at party chief Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, Matoshree, in Mumbai. Previously, a Congress panel had already approved 62 candidate names for the CEC to review.
Before the scheduled Sena (UBT) gathering on Sunday afternoon, Rajya Sabha member of the party, Sanjay Raut, expressed the necessity for making crucial decisions. Following an extensive discussion that lasted over 10 hours on Saturday, Raut mentioned that an urgent meeting with the party’s leaders had been called on Sunday after consulting with Thackeray. Emphasizing the need to address various issues, Raut stated that they would convene at Matoshree to deliberate on the matters and determine the course of action moving forward.
The decision was made by the Congress to adopt a “wait and see” approach regarding the Sena (UBT)’s upcoming actions. A Congress official mentioned, “We need to conclude a few matters, therefore we have advised our leaders to stay in Delhi.” Simultaneously, another prominent figure within the party, serving as a crucial negotiator, conveyed to The Indian Express that certain demands put forth by the Sena (UBT) were deemed “unreasonable and challenging to agree upon.
The marathon meeting that lasted until 2 am on Saturday failed to reach a conclusion as the Sena (UBT) stood firm on its demands. The party showed interest in competing for additional seats in Vidarbha, particularly those traditionally held by the Congress. A Congress leader expressed disbelief at the demands, questioning how they could relinquish seats like Warora, Dhamangaon Railway, Ramtek, or Nagpur South, which have been historically won by them but lack viable candidates from the opposing party.
While presiding as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve of the Sena (UBT) highlighted the purpose of the gathering at Matoshree, stating that it aimed to conclude the party’s campaign strategy. He mentioned that any pending issues would soon find resolution. Meanwhile, Aaditya Thackeray, party MLA and former minister, who is Uddhav’s son, engaged in an unplanned discussion with Pawar. Despite this interaction, he chose not to disclose the specifics of their conversation.
In the afternoon, Raut along with another party MP, Anil Desai, had a meeting with the NCP leader. While Desai announced that the MVA planned to conduct a collective press briefing on Monday, a senior Congress member stated that their party had no knowledge of this upcoming event.
The Congress also appeared to have made efforts to connect with Pawar, as its MLA and former minister Naseem Khan mentioned, “It was a routine meeting. We are committed to the stability of the MVA government and our comeback to power. We believe that any outstanding issues will be resolved promptly. Deliberations to reach an agreement on the final 10% of seats are currently underway. Given Pawar’s instrumental role in shaping the MVA alliance, we engaged in a discussion with him.
According to insiders from the NCP(SP), there is a possibility of Pawar stepping in to resolve the disagreements between the two factions.
