Shiv Sena UBT Will Get Lok Sabha Seats As Per Its Current Strength: Congress Leader

Mumbai: The differences among the INDIA bloc parties in Maharashtra over seat sharing are out even before they start discussions over it. The state Congress leaders on Thursday rejected Shiv Sena UBT’s claim on 23 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party’s demand is excessive considering their current state. Another Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam questioned why Shiv Sena UBT needs so many seats when it does not have strong candidates.

However, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said that Congress’s decision will be taken in Delhi and not by the state leaders.

Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has claimed that it will contest 23 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra on the ground that it had been contesting the same number of the seats in alliance with the BJP. However, 13 of the 19 Shiv Sena MPs, who were elected in 2019, are now supporting Eknath Shinde.

The Congress party, which is a part of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising Shiv Sena UBT and the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP in Maharashtra, expressed displeasure over the statements made by Sanjay Raut through the media instead of holding formal discussion with the alliance partners.

Nirupam, who is former Mumbai Congress chief and ex-member of Lok Sabha, said that it was unfortunate that the Shiv Sena UBT is making irrational demands for the seats of Lok Sabha election. “Shiv Sena UBT and the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP are not as strong as they were in the last general election in 2019. Many senior leaders have left them along with the workers and aligned with the BJP. We don’t know what is the strength of the Shiv Sena (UBT). But the Congress party is not scattered and has kept its flock together. We know our strength as our leaders and workers are united,” he said.

When asked about Raut’s claim that the Congress Delhi leadership will take decision in connection with the seat sharing, Mr. Nirupam said that the party’s headquarter is New Delhi, so all the decisions are taken by the Delhi leadership. “But the election will be held in Maharashtra. So the Shiv Sena UBT should hold a discussion with Maharashtra Congress leadership as the latter knows the ground reality and we will submit our report to Delhi leadership. Accordingly, they will take the final call,” he said.

The Congress leader added that seat sharing will be decided as per the current strength and status of the Shiv Sena UBT in Maharashtra. “They should not make demands on the basis of their strength in 2019,” he said.

Chavan said that all alliance partners need to make a few adjustments. He said, “There are 48 seats in Maharashtra. If every party demands the same number of seats they had contested in 2019, it will be more than 48 seats.”

The alliance of Congress and NCP had contested 48 seats in 2019, while Shiv Sena in alliance with the BJP had contested 23 seats.

The Shiv Sena UBT also wants Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which is led by Prakash Ambedkar, to be accommodated in the INDIA bloc. However, Ambedkar has also demanded 12 Lok Sabha seats and said that he is prepared to go it alone on all 48 seats.

Though the VBA does not have a single MP or MLA in Maharashtra, the party has significant influence in certain pockets. As per the records of the Election Commission of India, the VBA had secured more than 37 lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, which was nearly seven per cent of the total valid votes polled in Maharashtra. VBA candidates were runner-up in two Lok Sabha constituencies including the Akola seat contested by Ambedkar, who was the runner up ahead of Congress’s Hidayatullah Barakatullah Patel.