In a significant development for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, sources indicate that Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, is likely to contest a greater number of seats in Maharashtra. The party is expected to assume the role of the ‘big brother’ within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray’s faction) being a key participant in the I.N.D.I.A bloc that will jointly contest the elections.
Initial discussions suggested that all three parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance—Shiv Sena (Uddhav), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP – Sharad Pawar), and Congress—would contest an equal number of seats. However, recent sources indicate a potential shift in this arrangement.
Members of the I.N.D.I.A bloc convened on Tuesday to discuss seat-sharing at Congress leader Mukul Wasnik’s residence in Delhi. Sena leader Sanjay Raut, expressing optimism, stated, “All members of Maha Vikas Aghadi came out of the meeting with a smile. We discussed in detail about the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.”
The next meeting to further deliberate on seat-sharing within the I.N.D.I.A alliance is scheduled for January 12. After the bloc’s meeting, leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ashok Chavan, and Mukul Wasnik engaged in talks specifically focusing on Maharashtra.
In a separate development, Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot highlighted the apprehension within the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regarding the ‘I.N.D.I.A’ bloc of opposition parties. Pilot noted that the BJP, fearing a united opposition in the Lok Sabha elections, faced challenges, citing a recent setback for the BJP in Rajasthan’s Karanpur assembly seat as indicative of the public’s caution toward the government.
