New Delhi: The Congress party on Saturday announced its third list of 16 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. This follows its earlier releases, which included a first list of 48 candidates and a second list of 23. With this latest update, Congress has unveiled a total of 87 candidates.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition has established its seat-sharing plan for 255 constituencies, designating 85 seats each for Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction). The allocation of the remaining 23 seats will depend on the candidate selections of each party.
In contrast, within the Mahayuti alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Ajit Pawar’s NCP have both released two candidate lists, while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has published just one list so far. As the Maharashtra Assembly elections approach, both the Mahayuti alliance and the opposing MVA are intensifying their discussions to finalise their seat-sharing arrangements.
MVA coalition faces internal conflict
Congress has claimed that there are no internal conflicts within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. However, the Samajwadi Party (SP), an important ally of Congress in the INDIA bloc, has voiced its concerns. SP leader Abu Azmi saidmm, “We spoke to Sharad Pawar yesterday and he indicated that a decision would be made today, but I haven’t received any communication. The seats I requested are being announced. I worry we might face betrayal like in the previous two terms… It seems there is hesitance to allocate seats to the Samajwadi Party.”
He added, “I do not want the MVA to break apart or for votes to be divided… However, if our concerns are overlooked, we might have no choice but to run independently… I have consulted with Akhilesh Yadav, who has given me full authority. Unlike Congress, where even senior leaders need to seek approval from Delhi for every decision, leading to delays… Time is running out with only two days left. I will make my decision within this period.”
The elections for the state’s 288-seat assembly are scheduled for November 20, with vote counting set for November 23.
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