BJP vs Eknath Shinde's Sena Over Lok Sabha Seats In Maharashtra

The BJP's chief strategist and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Maharashtra tomorrow to iron out the differences over seat sharing with ally Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena. The Shinde faction has been demanding 22 of Maharashtra 42 seats in line with 2019 -- which had set off the friction with then Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. But the BJP, which has been enjoying the position of the big brother in the state for the last few years, is not ready to accommodate them. The addition of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to the mix has not improved matters -- they remain firm on their demand for 10 seats.  

Sources say of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, BJP wants to field its candidates on 30 seats, Shiv Sena can get 12 seats and NCP six seats. But the division is yet to be finalized, with the parties failing to be on the same page.

The BJP, which has been set a target of 400 seats by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, knows Maharashtra is crucial to reach this figure. The party has to balance all permutations and combinations while taking its allies along.

The trouble is over a handful of seats in Vidarbha, North Maharashtra and Marathwada regions, with all three allies posting their claims.

So amid a massive lack of coordination, the BJP and the Shiv Sena leaders last week found themselves facing off in two crucial seats in the state -- Amravati and Ratnagiri Sindhudurg (Vidarbh, Kokan region). While former Shiv Sena MP Anand Rao Adsul has staked claim from Amaravati, the BJP is preparing to field sitting MP Navneet Rana from this seat.

The statement of Union Minister Narayan Rane -- former Congressman who joined his Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha with the BJP in 2019 -- has further spiked the unease within the Shiv Sena. Mr Rane has said the BJP will contest Ratnagiri Sindhudurg.

The BJP has also come out in support of Amravati's Independent sitting member Navneet Rana, who is said to be contesting on a BJP ticket. "Navneet Rana is our associate member, she has supported NDA in the last five years, hence she will remain with us," senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said.

Former Sena MP Anand Rao Adsul has, meanwhile, gone on record saying, "This seat is ours in Shiv Sena BJP alliance, no question. Only the Shiv Sena will contest elections on this seat".

On the NCP's wistlist is a handful of seats, where the sitting legislators belong to the BJP and the Shiv sena faction of Eknath Shinde. Cases in point are Madha and Gadchiroli (BJP) and Buldhana, Hindoli (Shinde faction).

The BJP wants 30 seats and will present its views in tomorrow's meeting, a leader said on condition of anonymity. "The meeting to be held tomorrow will be the first meeting regarding seat distribution. Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde will be present in the meeting," he added.