Meanwhile, the Mahayuti coalition partners BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP are reportedly negotiating the seat-sharing arrangement for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. It was also revealed that the BJP would fight for between 140 and 150 seats in the 288-member Assembly.
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is expected to target at least 80 assembly seats, while the NCP faction headed by Ajit Pawar could have around 55 seats in mind. In addition, there are three representative seats for small partners or members.
The major opposition to the NDA Mahayuti alliance is in the form of the Maha Vid Aghadi, the amalgam of Congress, the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, and Sharad Pawar faction of NCP.
During the recent Lok sabha election, Maha Vikas Aghadi also achieved a very good triumph with 30 parliamentary seats for 48 in Maharashtra, where Mahayuti won only 17 of 48 seats. The next state assembly polls, which are likely to happen this winter, offer a golden chance for the Mahayuti to regain its ground.
In the 2019 Maharashtra state assembly elections, the BJP and the Shiv Sena, which was not factionalized at that time, had a thumping majority. However, the alliance broke apart over the Chief Minister’s question, and thus, Uddhav Thackeray formed the government with the help of Congress and NCP. In 2022, Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Thackeray’s government and formed a new government with the support of the BJP.
To add to the existing chaos, NCP leader Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle and former party chief Sharad Pawar, leading to a party split. Still, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar regained the party names and symbols in the Lok Sabha elections, meaning that both these leaders’ parties remain relevant in Indian politics.
As the state election draws near, the BJP-led alliance will have difficulty surmounting the barriers it encountered during the general elections. The seat-sharing deal of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition is yet to be concluded. As it has been estimated, the upcoming negotiations involving Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP will be especially challenging, especially given the good outcome of the recent Lok Sabha elections.
