Mahayuti alliance locks in high-stakes bargaining for MLC polls

Mumbai, May 27 (IANS) With the June 1 deadline for filing nominations fast approaching, the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has plunged into intense behind-the-scenes bargaining over seat-sharing for the upcoming Legislative Council (MLC) elections. The polls, scheduled for June 18, will fill 17 crucial seats elected by local body representatives.

Coming on the heels of the alliance’s dominant performance in local body elections, where the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP collectively secured more than 67 per cent of the seats, the Mahayuti is mathematically positioned to sweep the Upper House polls. However, this dominance has also triggered a fierce internal tussle over seat allocation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), functioning as the senior partner under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has proposed a formula weighted heavily in line with its numerical superiority in local bodies. According to sources, the BJP is eyeing 11 to 12 seats, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) is seeking 3 to 4 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sunetra Pawar/Ajit Pawar) is targeting 2 to 3 seats.

The proposal has reportedly met resistance from alliance partners who believe their regional strongholds are being overlooked. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena initially staked claim to seven seats, aggressively pushing for high-profile battlegrounds such as Thane, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar-Jalna, and Parbhani-Hingoli.

On the other hand, the NCP has locked horns with the BJP over strategically important regions such as Pune and Parbhani, arguing that despite having fewer total members statewide, its concentrated voter base in these districts gives it a stronger claim to contest.

The friction is not limited to the number of seats alone, but also extends to intricate political negotiations. In Raigad, for instance, a strategic arrangement is reportedly being discussed under which Shiv Sena may concede the MLC seat to NCP leader Aniket Tatkare, son of Sunil Tatkare, in exchange for the long-vacant and politically significant Raigad Guardian Minister post.

Pune has emerged as another major flashpoint, with all three alliance partners staking claim to the seat. The NCP insists it enjoys a demographic edge, while the BJP points to its superior numbers.

Similarly, in Thane and Raigad, which are considered traditional Shiv Sena bastions, the party has refused to yield to what it describes as the BJP’s “numerical formula”.

As tensions simmered and Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule held late-night meetings to calm alliance concerns, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stepped in to project unity and downplay speculation about any rift within the coalition.

Speaking on the negotiations, CM Fadnavis said that while numbers remain important, coalition stability takes precedence.

“In a robust three-party alliance, it is entirely natural for every partner to harbour ambitions and maximise their strength. We are analysing the ground realities of each constituency by assessing current sitting seats, past performances and local equations. Leaders of all three parties are sitting together, and I assure you that 99 per cent of the structural formula is already aligned. The Mahayuti is fighting these 17 seats as a singular, unbreakable front, and we will win them all,” he said.

The friction reportedly escalated over the weekend when Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made an unannounced visit to Delhi to meet the BJP central leadership.

Shinde’s camp is said to be highly protective of its Thane stronghold, where local BJP leaders have claimed they possess a higher number of corporators — 444 compared to Shiv Sena’s 346. Returning from Delhi, Shinde pushed back against a purely mathematical formula for seat distribution, stressing the importance of political identity and legacy.

“An alliance is built on mutual respect and recognising where each party has invested years of hard work on the ground. Thane, Konkan and parts of Marathwada are deeply tied to the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and our organisational core. You cannot simply count heads on a spreadsheet to erase decades of political groundwork. We have put forward a legitimate claim for seven seats because our workers are prepared to win them. That being said, we are in continuous dialogue with Delhi and our alliance partners. A solution that respects everyone’s self-respect will emerge,” he said.

On the other side, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is under pressure to secure victories in western Maharashtra and parts of the Marathwada region to strengthen her party’s position. Rejecting the notion that the NCP should remain a silent junior partner in the MLC seat-sharing exercise, she argued that local strike rate and constituency-level strength should determine the final distribution.

“Our approach towards the Mahayuti alliance has always been pragmatic. We are not interested in creating media friction or claiming seats merely for political posturing. However, in regions such as Pune, Raigad and Nanded, the NCP has a highly concentrated and loyal voter base capable of influencing outcomes. We are advocating a seat-by-seat merit-based assessment rather than a top-down formula. Internal discussions are being handled behind closed doors, and our priority remains maximising the Mahayuti’s strike rate as a united bloc,” she said.

With the June 1 deadline nearing, Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar are expected to hold a final high-level meeting over the weekend to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement and candidate names.

While the BJP is unlikely to significantly dilute its “big brother” status within the alliance, senior strategists indicated that tactical concessions, including possible Cabinet adjustments or future Assembly seat assurances, could be offered to ensure smooth coordination among allies and avoid any public discord.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

–IANS

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