Mumbai/New Delhi; Leading News Service: BJP Shresthi told both groups that NCP will not get more than 5 seats and Shiv Sena's Shinde group will not get more than 8 to 9 seats. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at the end of the first round of talks in Delhi that the three parties should go to Mumbai and discuss again and then sit again in Delhi and take a decision.
Ajit Pawar has demanded 12 seats under the 2019 Lok Sabha seats contested by Sharad Pawar-led NCP. After this demand was brought to 9 seats, BJP has not accepted it. There is a picture that the Ajit Pawar group will not get more than 5 seats. In 2019, NCP fielded candidates in Madha, Maval, Baramati, Raigad, Shirur, Satara, Buldana, Raver, Jalgaon, Nashik, Mumbai, Parbhani, Beed, Gondia-Bhandara, Hatkanangle etc. According to this, Ajit Pawar's hope that BJP will leave these constituencies to him has failed.
Shinde and Pawar had thought that the BJP would distribute seats in Maharashtra after announcing candidates for the country's 195 Lok Sabha constituencies; But Union Home Minister Amit Shah took care to ensure that the leaders of the state are not betrayed. Shah, who was on a visit to Mumbai, left for Delhi after a minor discussion. However, Shah gave a shock by offering single digit seats to Shinde and Ajit Pawar in Delhi as well. The three leaders namely Chief Minister Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar clashed with Amit Shah for two and a half hours on Friday night. Ajit Pawar, NCP working president Praful Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare met Shah separately late on Friday night. However, it is learned that they have been told that no more than 5 seats will be released.
Shinde's problem is big
After the rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, as many as 13 MPs joined the Shinde group. At least four of them will have to reject the candidature or if accepted by the BJP, these four will have to stand on the lotus symbol. Eknath Shinde, who has a larger number of sitting MPs, has a bigger problem than Ajit Pawar as he is getting only 9 seats. After returning to Mumbai, what will he do with this and how will he convince his MPs and aspirants, how will his leadership be?
Shah's strong stance
Shah took a firm stand that check whether the candidate has the ability to get elected. All the three parties should discuss the seat allocation, exchange, candidates in the state. Amit Shah is understood to have told Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar that after discussing in detail which party has the potential to get elected on which seat, who is their candidate, let's discuss it again in Delhi and take the final decision.
Meeting today or tomorrow
According to sources in the BJP, the meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee is likely to be held on March 10 or 11. This pair of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will have a meeting with Shah and the seat allocation will be sealed according to BJP's own policy. If that happens, BJP's second list may include names of candidates from Maharashtra.
