Aakhir Tak – In Shorts
- Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will hold a crucial meeting over the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seat-sharing deadlock for the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
- Sanjay Raut has alleged BJP tampering with voter lists, accusing them of removing MVA voters.
- MVA leaders, including Congress and NCP, held final talks to resolve differences over seats in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Mumbai.
Aakhir Tak – In Depth
As the Maharashtra Assembly elections draw near, tensions are mounting within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance over the division of seats. Today, Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), is set to host a pivotal meeting with his party’s leaders at his Matoshree residence. This meeting comes in light of unresolved issues within the MVA, which comprises Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar.
The urgency of this meeting follows Saturday’s MVA talks aimed at ironing out differences over seat-sharing for the upcoming elections, which are set for November 20. Sources indicate that the final agreement could be announced on Monday. However, disputes over key regions like Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Mumbai seem to have been resolved, providing hope for a united front.
A significant claim from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut further complicated matters, accusing the BJP of manipulating voter lists. Raut alleged that BJP, in collusion with the Election Commission, was removing MVA voters from 50 key constituencies in a bid to sway the results. He emphasized that Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Home Minister Amit Shah were involved in these manipulations, raising serious concerns over electoral fairness.
Raut, who left the MVA discussions mid-way, remains firm in his belief that a governmental shift is on the horizon for Maharashtra. While internal disagreements have surfaced in recent weeks, especially with Congress, Raut reassured the public that the MVA remains united. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar echoed this sentiment last Thursday, affirming that an agreement had been reached on 200 out of 288 Assembly seats, signaling progress.
As the MVA moves closer to finalizing seat-sharing, Congress is expected to hold a Central Election Committee meeting in Delhi. The outcome of today’s discussions at Matoshree could be critical in ensuring a seamless campaign for the alliance, as the November 20 election looms closer, followed by the vote count on November 23.
