No differences in MahaYuti over seat-sharing, talks to continue for only 35 seats: Eknath Shinde

Mumbai, Oct 19 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said that MahaYuti, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, has arrived at a consensus over almost 253 of the total 288 Assembly seats, while the talks will be held for next two days over the remaining 35 seats to arrive at a seat-sharing arrangement for the November 20 elections. 

On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the negotiations will continue for the next two days for a few seats, though by and large there has been understanding over the seat-sharing arrangement.

Shinde and Fadnavis spoke to reporters separately after their meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on late Friday night in Delhi.

NCP president and DCM Ajit Pawar, who was accompanied by working president Praful Patel and state chief Sunil Tatkare, was also present at Friday's meeting.

According to MahaYuti insiders, the BJP may contest 151 seats, 84 by Shiv Sena and 53 by NCP. Three parties in the October 18 meeting had arrived at an understanding to change among themselves a few seats based purely on the winnability factor.

"MahaYuti will seal the seat-sharing agreement soon as there are about 35 seats on which then talks will take place. Three ruling partners are approaching the voters by taking up a number of welfare and development works launched by the state government and are quite optimistic about coming back to power," said Shinde.

"MahaYuti is working as a team and there are no differences," he clarified.

Fadnavis, meanwhile, said that the talks were quite satisfactory.

"It was decided during yesterday's meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah that the three parties will independently declare their respective candidates on which there has been unanimity. BJP has completed its due process of selection of candidates especially at the level of Central Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee and it will announce its list any time,’’ he added. However, Fadnavis declined to give the exact day or date for release of the party's list.

CM Shinde said that the three parties will together give details with regard to a final seat sharing agreement among the MahaYuti partners. He reiterated that the MahaYuti government is a government for development and Maharashtra's transformation.

Earlier this week, the MahaYuti released its report card to checkmate the "traitor's report" released by the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

--IANS

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