Today in Politics: Pawar, Uddhav to attend crucial MVA meeting on ending seat-sharing impasse

In addition, clarity is anticipated regarding the seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA alliance for Jharkhand, while Prime Minister Modi is currently in Russia attending the BRICS Summit.

After the Congress unveiled its initial candidate roster for Jharkhand, a glimmer of hope shines for the Opposition in Maharashtra. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, of which the Congress is a constituent, is on the verge of revealing a pact outlining the distribution of seats in Maharashtra. This development follows extensive negotiations between the Congress and its coalition partner, Shiv Sena (UBT), under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray.

The conference planned to take place in Mumbai will witness the presence of key figures from the coalition, such as Thackeray, Ramesh Chennithala – the AICC Maharashtra in-charge, and Sharad Pawar, the principal figure holding the alliance together from the Nationalist Congress Party. When negotiations faced obstacles on Sunday, the Shiv Sena and the Congress sought Pawar’s intervention, leading to the halt of their internal meetings due to disagreements over seat allocations. Ultimately, through his adept skills, Pawar swiftly managed to reunite the two allies for further deliberations.

Reported by Alok Deshpande, one of the reasons for the deadlock was the state Congress president Nana Patole’s push for 125 seats, in contrast to the Sena (UBT) who advocated for 100 seats each for themselves and the Congress, and 88 for the NCP (SP). The Sena’s insistence on securing seats in Vidarbha, a region where the Congress holds a strong influence, was also cited as a major obstacle. However, Pawar’s discreet involvement led to a more conciliatory stance from the state Congress on Monday. Balasaheb Thorat, a senior leader, was then tasked with negotiating with Thackeray and the NCP (SP) chief instead of Patole.

Among the day’s most notable political narratives will be the intricate details of the agreement. It remains to be seen whether Congress will secure the most advantageous deal for itself, following its remarkable performance in the Lok Sabha elections, which propelled the MVA to victory in 30 parliamentary constituencies.

In Jharkhand, the Opposition party is swiftly moving forward despite recent disagreements regarding seat allocations. Late on Monday night, the party announced 21 candidates, 18 of whom were previously selected. The dispute between Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) revolved around the distribution of seats among smaller ally Rashtriya Janata Dal and the source of ticket allocations.

According to the report by Abhishek Angad, there is a current consensus on 70 seats, with 41 allocated to the JMM and 29 to the Congress. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Legislature Party (CLP) overseeing the party’s operations, mentioned in an interview with Manoj CG that the final distribution might shape up as follows: 42 seats for JMM, 30 for Congress, approximately five to six for the RJD, and the remaining seats for the CPI(ML). The complete scenario is anticipated to be revealed by Tuesday afternoon.

Today’s agenda also includes:

1. In Kazan, Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commenced a two-day visit for the BRICS Summit, kicking off on Tuesday.
2. Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, is currently in Gujarat, his native state. He is scheduled to speak at a gathering in Anand in the morning to commemorate the diamond jubilee of the National Dairy Development Board and the birth anniversary of Tribhuvandas Patel, known as the pioneer of India’s cooperative movement. Later in the day, around 2 pm, Shah will deliver a speech at the Gujarat Assembly, unveil a new party office in Gandhinagar, and kick off the 14th National Conference of Civil Defence and Home Guards.