A senior leader of the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has stated that his party should have the opportunity to contest at least 100 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena is part of the Mahayuti coalition, which also includes the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The state assembly elections are scheduled for October.
Former state minister Ramdas Kadam emphasized, “We should be given 100 seats to contest, and we are confident of winning 90 of them.” He made this statement at a function marking the 58th Foundation Day of the undivided Shiv Sena, organized by the Shinde faction at the NSCI complex.
It’s worth noting that Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal recently expressed that his party should be given the opportunity to contest 80-90 seats in the state assembly polls. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later stated that the BJP, being the largest party, intends to contest more seats in the state election. However, Fadnavis mentioned that the seat-sharing formula will only be finalized after the leaders of the three parties meet and discuss.
In the Lok Sabha elections held recently, the ruling Mahayuti secured 17 out of 48 seats in the state. Specifically, the BJP won 9 seats, Shiv Sena 7, and NCP 1. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar, won 30 seats.