Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Mahayuti Parties Almost Seal Seat-Sharing Arrangement; BJP Likely To Contest From Palghar

Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra has almost sealed the seat-sharing deal bringing clarity over 47 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. BJP will most likely to get the remaining Palghar seat, said insiders from the saffron party and Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday announced its candidates for Kalyan, Thane and Nashik, freezing its numbers at 15.

Under the seat-sharing arrangement, BJP has so far agreed to contest in 27 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will field its candidates in four constituencies.

Earlier, the BJP was reportedly keen on contesting the Thane seat and had opposed the renomination of Sena MP Hemant Godse from the Nashik constituency.

With the Thane seat in Sena's kitty, Shinde has announced former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske as his party candidate from there. His son and incumbent MP Shrikant Shinde will contest from Kalyan.

Mahayuti partners BJP, Sena and NCP had backed Rashtriya Samaj Paksha in Parbhani, where polling has already been done.

BJP Likely To Get Palghar Seat

According to sources in Sena and BJP, the saffron party will most likely contest from the Palghar Lok Sabha seat. The BJP had won in the Palghar parliamentary constituency in 2014 and retained it in the bye-election after the death of its sitting MP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP's sitting MP Rajendra Gavit contested on the Sena's symbol and won. According to BJP sources, the party has persuaded Shinde to hand over the Palghar seat to the saffron party.

Except for Palghar, the BJP-led alliance has announced its candidates for all other seats in the state. Friday is the last date to file the nomination for Palghar and other Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai.

The sitting MPs from South Mumbai and Thane had remained with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the BJP was keen on contesting both seats.