Ajit Pawar reveals seat-sharing discussions for Maharashtra elections at final stage; only 11 seats remaining
Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday announced that discussions regarding seat sharing for the upcoming elections are nearing completion, with only 11 out of 288 seats yet to be finalised.
Pawar said, "Yesterday, our whole day went in Delhi for the discussion, and today, our senior leader, Praful Patel, is having a discussion. If I say clearly, out of 288 seats, only 11 seats remain to decide who will get which seats... We are trying to make the best decision out of the discussions."
The Deputy Chief Minister also cautioned the media, urging them to verify any claims before publishing.
"Our discussion is still on. I want to request the media not to write anything without verifying it... We are moving in a phased manner. Until we say something, don't conclude that someone has been given a ticket and another ignored," he added.
Meanwhile, the NCP announced its second list of candidates for the upcoming state Assembly elections, aiming to strengthen its position with this new lineup. Notably, Sana Malik, daughter of NCP leader Nawab Malik, will contest from the Anushakti Nagar constituency.
Zeeshan Siddiqui, who joined the NCP earlier in the day, has been selected to run from Bandra East. After joining the party, Siddiqui expressed, "This is an emotional day for me and my family. I am thankful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for believing in me in these tough times. With the love and support of all the people, I will definitely win Bandra East yet again."
The NCP's second list also includes former BJP leaders Nishikant Patil for Islampur and Sanjaykaka Ramchandra Patil for Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal, both of whom joined the party in the presence of Ajit Pawar.
Former BJP leader Nishikant Bhosale Patil said, "I have joined NCP today on the direction of our leader Devendra Fadnavis. I had to shift to NCP from the BJP as the Islampur assembly seat went to the NCP. I will win the election from the Islampur seat on the NCP ticket."
Former MP Sanjaykaka Patil added, "NCP is a part of Mahayuti. Two assembly seats, including Tasgaon and Islampur, in our district went to the NCP for the Maharashtra elections. I had to contest the election and hence I joined the NCP."
Other prominent candidates include Sunil Tingre for Vadgaon Sheri, Dnyaneshwar (Mauli) Katke for Shirur, and Pratap Patil Chikhlikar for Iron.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
