After weeks of close-door confabulations, the Congress and NCP on Saturday formalised the seat-sharing arrangement for the “Mahaghatbandhan” constituents in Maharashtra, with the two main parties, deciding to contest 24 and 20 seats respectively and leave the remaining four seats to smaller parties.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement hammered among the constituents of “Mahaghatbandhan”, the Congress will contest 24 seats out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the State, while the NCP will field candidates in 20 constituencies. Of the remaining four seats, the smaller parties — Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) will contest two seats, while Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) and Yuva Swabhimani Paksha (YSP) will fight one seat each.
Addressing a joint news conference with NCP’s State president Jayant Patil and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan said: “There are in all 56 political parties in Maharashtra’s Mahaghatbandhan. Leaders of all political parties are present here”.
Apart from the Congress, NCP and three other constituents, the other major constituents in the Opposition’s umbrella coalition include: the People’s Republic Party (Kavade), RPI (Democratic),Swabhimani Republican Paksha, Bhim Sena, United Republican Paksha, Maharashtra Muslim Sangh, All India Vimukta Bhatkya Jaati Jamati Party, Ganrajya Sangh, Maharashtra Parivatran Sena, Swabhimani RPI and RPI (Kharat).
Launching a blistering attack against the ruling BJP, Chavan said: “We have formed Mahaghatbandhan by involving political parties representing all sections of the society including farmers, labourers, women, Dalits, minorities, youth and oppressed sections. The NDA Government is indulging in “Jumle baji”. There is a lot of unhappiness among common people in the state. The BJP-Sena Government has wreaked havoc in the State. It has failed to deliver on all fronts. Our intention to throw out Governments at the Centre and in the State.
Chavan charged that the Amit Shah-led party was practising “Saam, dham, Dhand, Bhed” politics and said that many smaller parties were suffering because of the questionable politics indulged in by the principal ruling party.