Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, addressed the allocation of seats for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, emphasising the need for discussions with coalition partners before finalising the seat-sharing formula.
This came after an earlier assertion that the BJP would vie for 26 out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis clarified that the formula would be determined following discussions among the allies and stressed the importance of respecting each party's prior contested constituencies as the foundational principle for the seat allocation.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), is currently in discussions regarding the allocation of seats.
"Discussions among the allies are pending, and the seat-sharing formula will be devised after these deliberations. The fundamental principle will be to allocate seats to the parties that have previously contested in those specific constituencies," Fadnavis conveyed to reporters in response to queries about BJP's intent to contest 26 seats while allocating 22 seats to the allies.
Highlighting the dynamic nature of the seat-sharing arrangement, Fadnavis confirmed the likelihood of adjustments and amendments to the formula following discussions with the alliance partners.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and Shiv Sena (undivided) contested 41 seats in Maharashtra, securing 23 and 18 seats, respectively.
Shifting focus, Fadnavis assured government support for farmers affected by untimely rainfall, urging officials in impacted districts to conduct assessments of crop damage for necessary intervention and aid.
When asked about the disqualification pleas against NCP MLAs aligned with the Ajit Pawar faction, Fadnavis refrained from commenting, recognising the quasi-judicial nature of the hearings to be conducted by the state assembly speaker, Rahul Narwekar.
Recently, both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party, led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, submitted their responses to the assembly speaker regarding the disqualification petitions filed against each other.