NCP Expects Seat Sharing Stalemate to Resolve by May 30 in Maharashtra Elections

Mumbai, May 29: The core committee of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by party president and Deputy Chief Minister Supriya Sule, convened on Friday to discuss their claims for local body seats in Raigad, Pune, and Parbhani for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. These elections are scheduled for June 18, with the final date for filing nominations set for June 1.

The meeting was attended by prominent figures including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal, former Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, former minister Dhananjay Mundhe, and MP Parth Pawar.

Speaking to reporters, Tatkare expressed confidence, alongside Bhujbal, that the stalemate regarding seat sharing among the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance would be resolved by tomorrow afternoon. He clarified that all three parties have agreed to contest collectively for all 17 seats of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Detailed discussions were held on the seat-sharing formula, potential candidates, and election strategies.

Tatkare noted that discussions regarding seat allocation between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and NCP are in the final stages, and clarity on the situation is expected by tomorrow afternoon. He mentioned that decisions regarding how many seats the BJP will contest, which seats Shiv Sena will field candidates for, and the allocation for NCP will be finalized by Saturday afternoon. The NCP has already communicated its requirements for the number of seats to the Chief Minister.

He further stated that with the nomination deadline approaching on June 1, discussions within the Maha Vikas Aghadi are intensifying. He made it clear that the nomination process will continue on Saturday, and due to Sunday being a holiday, a final decision is anticipated by tomorrow afternoon. Following this, candidates for the seats allocated to the NCP will be announced.

Tatkare also mentioned that while many candidates are attempting to submit their nominations, no names have been finalized yet. He clarified that the upcoming extended executive committee meeting in his ancestral village, Sutarwadi, is unrelated to the Legislative Council elections.

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