Congress, Uddhav Sena, Sharad Pawar’s Party to Contest 85 Seats Each in Alliance

The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray announced the finalization of seat-sharing in Maharashtra, revealing 65 candidates this evening. After weeks of intense negotiations, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance has decided that each of the three main parties—Sena UBT, Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)—will contest 85 seats each.

This allocation brings the total to 255 seats. The remaining 33 seats from the 288 total will go to smaller allies and may be divided among the major parties. However, the candidate list remains flexible. Sanjay Raut of Sena UBT stated that the list is still subject to change.

At a press conference, Raut and Congress’s Nana Patole confirmed the agreement. Raut said, “Our final meeting with Pawar Saheb has ended. He told us to announce that MVA’s seat-sharing has concluded successfully.” He emphasized the 85-85-85 formula, indicating a total of 270, although there was some confusion about the numbers.

When questioned about the math, Sena’s Anil Desai clarified, “We are preparing the necessary forms. An agreement has been reached on 85-85-85. The rest will go to our smaller friendly parties after discussion.”

Discussions resumed this morning after a lengthy meeting that lasted past midnight, with Sharad Pawar mediating between Congress and Sena UBT. The two parties had struggled to agree on seats in Mumbai, Nashik, and Vidarbha, particularly concerning 15 contested areas, including Ghatkopar West and Amravati.

The Sena (UBT) initially aimed for 100 seats each for itself and Congress and 88 for the NCP. In contrast, Congress, buoyed by recent electoral success, sought 125 seats.

Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will occur in a single phase on November 20, with vote counting set for November 23.