MahaYuti allies hope to seal seat-sharing deal today after HM Shah’s meeting

Sanjay Jog

Mumbai, Oct 24 (IANS) The MahaYuti partners comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP hope to arrive at an understanding on the occasion of auspicious Gurupushyamrut Yog on Thursday after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

MahaYuti sources said there are about 30 seats where the three allies have yet to arrive at a consensus. The MahaYuti allies hope to seal the seat-sharing agreement after the intervention of HM Amit Shah who had recently told them to reach out to him if they fail to reach a consensus during their talks.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has already left for Delhi while Deputy Chief Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have been in the national capital since Wednesday as the joint meeting was to take place in the night.

The MahaYuti allies have so far released the list of 182 seats comprising BJP (99), Shiv Sena (45) and NCP (38) but they have yet to announce their nominees in the remaining 106 seats. MahaYuti sources said there are about 30 seats where the three allies have yet to arrive at a consensus. The BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP have focused on social engineering while fielding their nominees and they have preferred continuity by renominating the maximum number of sitting legislators to avoid rebellion.

The meeting, which was scheduled on Wednesday night with HM Shah could not take place as the message did not reach Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for that meeting as the CM after taking the holy 'darshan' of Goddess Kamakhya in Guwahati flew to Chiplun (Goa) to induct the BJP leader and former MP Nilesh Rane in the Shiv Sena.

By the time it was realised, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, NCP Working President Praful Patel and state NCP president Sunil Tatkare had already reached Delhi on the same flight. "After they started from Mumbai, they realised that the message did not reach the Chief Minister to reach Delhi on Wednesday night and therefore the meeting with the Home Minister did not take place," said a MahaYuti Minister. He further added that as the meeting was rescheduled to Thursday morning, Fadnavis, Pawar and other leaders stayed in Delhi.

After it was found that the message could not be conveyed to the Chief Minister, efforts were made to reach out but it was too late as he had left Guwahati for Goa to head for the function in Sindhudurg district for Nilesh Rane's induction. "Being a pre-planned programme, it was not possible for the Chief Minister to cancel it at the last minute. After attending that rally, CM Shinde later came to Mumbai late Wednesday night in a charter flight," said a senior leader of MahaYuti.

(Sanjay Jog can be reached at [email protected])

--IANS

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