Maharashtra polls: Fadnavis to decide on seat-sharing, negotiations

Mumbai: Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will take decisions on seat-sharing and negotiations with allies for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, a party leader has said.

The move aims to prevent undesired delays by streamlining preparations for the assembly elections due in a few months, BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar told reporters on Sunday.

“The core committee (of the state unit) has met in Mumbai to delegate all decision-making powers concerning seat-sharing and the selection of assembly constituencies to Fadnavis,” he said.

Party observer and Union minister Bhupender Yadav, BJP national secretary Vinod Tawde, Union minister and Mumbai North MP Piyush Goyal also attended the meeting.

Of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, the BJP won 104 in 2019.

Shelar confirmed finalisation of the “formula for winning, besides the planning and seat-sharing arrangements with the allies”.

“Fadnavis has been granted full authority in this regard,” he said.

The BJP-led Mahayuti, also comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and the NCP headed by Ajit Pawar, won only 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the recent parliamentary polls. The BJP’s tally came down to 9 from 23 five years ago.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), bagged 30 seats.

Shelar said, “We have decided to save time by streamlining the planning, discussions, and decision-making processes with all the NDA constituents to finalise the candidates. Once this is done, we can begin preparations for the assembly polls. The list of candidates will be released at the appropriate time.”

After the BJP’s Lok Sabha tally came down to 9 in Maharashtra, Fadnavis had offered to quit the deputy CM's post to enable him to focus on party work ahead of assembly elections.

Later, after a party meeting where state BJP legislators passed a resolution reposing faith in him, Fadnavis said he would continue to work.