LS constituencies won by BJP to be discussed first in MVA seat-sharing talks: Ajit Pawar

Mumbai | NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said the Lok Sabha constituencies won by the BJP in Maharashtra would be discussed first in the seat-sharing talks of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners.

The MVA, an alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, will "hundred percent" contest the next year's Lok Sabha elections together, he told reporters here.

“We said there should be a discussion first on vacant seats (seats won by the BJP in 2019) and how many of these seats Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena should get. After that, discussions will take place on the remaining seats,” Pawar said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had won 23 of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2019, followed by its then alliance partner Shiv Sena which had bagged 18.

“There is no formula for seat-sharing. Uddhav Thackeray had expressed the desire to keep the seats his party had won. But there was no further discussion on it. Leaders of the three parties (for conducting the talks) will be nominated,” Pawar added.

The `Vajramuth' (solidarity) rallies of the MVA have been postponed due to the rising summer temperatures and they will resume after the weather cools down, he said.

Asked whether he contacted Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday, Pawar said he will speak to him in person.