The situation is unclear regarding the number of candidates and the distribution of seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi MVA alliance. Nearly 8,000 candidates have filed nomination papers for 288 assembly seats. The last date to submit nominations was Tuesday.
In Mahavikas Aghadi (MAVIA), Congress has given AB forms to as many as 102 candidates, NCP (Sharad Pawar) to 87 and Shiv Sena (UBT) to 96 candidates. In total, their number is 285. Of them, there are six seats in which candidates from two Maviya parties are contesting. In addition, it is intended to grant eight seats to smaller allies.
The BJP will contest the elections with 149 seats and the Shiv Sena with 82 seats.
In the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the BJP has officially given AB forms to 149 candidates, the Shiv Sena to 82 and the NCP to 55 candidates. This number is 286. The remaining two seats have been given to Union Minister Ramdas Athawale’s Republican Party of India (RPI). The three main parties have also given up some seats to allies smaller than their respective quotas. There are many such seats in Mahayuti, where the leader of one Mahayuti party is seen contesting elections on another party’s ticket.
