Maharashtra: As Partners Squawk Over Seats, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tries To Smooth Feathers

Union Home Minister Amit Shah commenced his tour of Maharashtra apparently to iron out differences among constituents of the ruling Maha Yuti. Worried over reports that the Maha Yuti partners, BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP are unable to come to a consensus on some of the Lok Sabha constituencies, Shah decided to hold confabulations with the leaders concerned.

Maharashtra has as many as 48 Lok Sabha seats, next only to Uttar Pradesh. Hence lot of importance is being given for the seat sharing talks here.

During his stopover at Akola, Shah reviewed the poll arithmetic in six constituencies in east and west Vidarbha.

He arrived in Akola with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the two reviewed election preparations in Akola, Buldana, Amravati, Yavatmal-Washim (west Vidarbha), Chandrapur and Wardha (East Vidarbha). They consulted local leaders before proceeding further.

According to sources, Amravati featured prominently in the discussions. Navneet Rana, who won the seat as an Independent, is once again keen to contest from Amravati. But the Shiv Sena, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is against her candidature even though the BJP was keen on fielding her.

Later addressing a youth rally at Jalgaon in north Maharashtra, Shah urged the people to vote for parties that would strengthen democracy.

“How can the parties that promote dynastic politics (‘parivarvaad’) instead of democracy within their own organisations strengthen the democracy of the country? Vote for the parties that would strengthen democracy,” the BJP leader said in an apparent reference to the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya.

“A vote for the BJP means a vote for Bharat and making Narendra Modi prime minister for the third time,” Shah said.

Shah is expected to hold talks with senior Maha Yuti leaders on Wednesday and give finishing touches to the seat-sharing formula.