Rahul Gandhi Holds Talks with Uddhav Thackeray Amidst Maharashtra Seat Negotiation Deadlock

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 23rd Feb. Amidst intense seat negotiations with INDIA bloc allies ahead of the national election, Rahul Gandhi reached out to Uddhav Thackeray yesterday to address the deadlock over eight of Maharashtra’s 48 seats. Gandhi, currently on a Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, reportedly engaged in an hour-long discussion with the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.

Sources reveal that the Congress aims to contest three of Mumbai’s six Lok Sabha seats – Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North Central, and Mumbai North West. Conversely, Uddhav Thackeray purportedly seeks to contest 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state, including four in Mumbai – Mumbai South, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, and Mumbai South Central.

The seat negotiations pose a challenge for the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, comprising Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and the Congress, formed after the 2019 Lok Sabha election. While an agreement has been reached on nearly 40 seats, negotiators remain deadlocked on eight seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the undivided Shiv Sena contested 22 out of 48 seats and emerged victorious in 18, securing three in Mumbai alone.

Months after the elections, Uddhav Thackeray’s party ended its 25-year-long alliance with the BJP due to disagreement over power-sharing arrangements post the Maharashtra state polls.

After the division within the Shiv Sena and the subsequent formation of a new government by Eknath Shinde’s faction alongside the BJP, the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration crumbled.

Recent defections to the BJP by prominent Congress leaders in Maharashtra, including former chief minister Ashok Chavan and Milind Deora, have complicated seat negotiations for the opposition allies in the state.

Despite challenges, leaders from all parties remain committed to finding a resolution, recognizing the significance of the upcoming elections for their respective political survival. The Congress has also been actively pursuing alliances with other regional parties, including Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, while continuing efforts to secure a deal with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.