With the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) still to formalise the seat-sharing arrangement among its key constituents, its small ally Peasants and Workers’ Party (PWP) on Tuesday went ahead and announced the names of four its candidates for the State Assembly polls.

Informed sources in the MVA attributed the delay in its key constituents signing the seat-sharing pact for the November 20 State Assembly polls to the lack of consensus between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) on at least half a dozen seats from Vidarbha and Mumbai.

The leaders of the MVA – comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar)  -- held one more round of talks on Tuesday evening to iron out differences over the sharing of at least six out of the total 288 Assembly seats. “We expect to arrive at a consensus on the seat-sharing process. A formal announcement on seat tie-up among the MVA constituents will be made tomorrow,” a senior MVA leader said.

Without waiting for the MVA to arrive at an understanding on the seat-sharing for the Assembly polls,  the PWP announced its list of four candidates -- comprising Atul Mahtre ( Pen), Pratima Mahtre (Uran), Balaram Patil (Panvel and Sanusha Chitralekha Patil (Alibaug)

Talking to media persons, PWP president Jayant Patil said that his party would contest the State Assembly polls as a constituent of the MVA.

The seat-sharing within the MVA will happen among Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Once the seat pact is signed, the three key constituents will allot seats to the smaller parties like the Samajwadi Party, PWP, CPI and CPI-M.

The release of candidates’ list by PWP came a day after the Congress on Monday announced that the discussion on its share of 96 seats had been completed. However, on Tuesday, the Congress did not release its list of candidates as announced on Monday. 

Meanwhile, BJP’s former minister Rajkumar Badole from from Gondia in Vidarbha region joined the NCP (Ajit Pawar)

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP is likely to field Badole, a two-time MLA (2009 and 2014) from his home constituency of  Arjuni Morgaon in Gondia district of eastern Maharashtra.

In what came as a pre-poll boost to the NCP (Ajit Pawar), several several wrestlers led by Deenanath Singh, who is a winner of the Hind Kesari and Maharashtra Kesari titles, joined the NCP on Tuesday.

At a function, outgoing deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar  and State NCP president Sunil Tatkare welcomed Deenanath Singh  and other wrestlers into their party. 

Apart from Deenanath Singh, the other wrestlers who joined the NCP (Ajit Pawar) are: Aba Kale (Mumbai Kesari), Sagar Garud (Upmaharashtra Kesari), Amol Barate (Hind Kesari), Yuvraj Vahag (Twice Upamaharashtra Kesari), Sonba Kale (Pune Mayor Kesari), Akshay Garud (Young Maharashtra Kesari), Akshay Hirgude (Hind Kesari, Gold Medallist), and Rishikesh Bhande (Maharashtra Champion).

The wrestlers’ entry has come as a shot in the arm for the NCP (AP) in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra. Kolhapur has a long history of wrestling and has produced many noted wrestlers.  Kolhapur's wrestling culture has over the years been dominated by Gangavesh Akhara, Shahupuri Akhara, Motibag Akhara and New Motibag Akhara