Ajit Pawar Talks About Raj Thackeray’s Election Plans and Seat-Sharing in Maharashtra
In Nasik, Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP Chief Ajit Pawar clarified that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray will contest the upcoming assembly elections alone but supports PM Modi during Lok Sabha elections. Pawar questioned the rumors about Thackeray joining Mahayuti, stating, “Who said that? He said that he will contest on 200-225 seats. So, what does that mean? He wants to contest on his own.”
Regarding seat-sharing for the assembly elections, Pawar mentioned that CM Eknath Shinde, both Deputy Chief Ministers, and a few other members discussed the matter on August 8. He emphasized that other Mahayuti allies were not present, so a statement would be issued after further discussions.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut announced that seat-sharing talks within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance have been completed, with no differences of opinion. He stressed the need to remove the current Maharashtra government democratically.
On August 7, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray met Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, accompanied by his son Aditya Thackeray. Other leaders like Sanjay Raut and KC Venugopal were also present.
Sharad Pawar met CM Shinde on August 3 to discuss Maratha reservation issues. The MVA parties are preparing for the upcoming assembly elections, with Congress holding a state leaders’ meeting on August 4.
Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Sanjay Nirupam criticized Uddhav Thackeray for seeking power by aligning with Congress. He claimed that Uddhav’s visit to Delhi was an attempt to position himself as the chief contender for the Chief Ministership within the MVA.
The state is expected to hold elections for the 288-member legislative assembly later this year, with the current government’s tenure ending in 2024. The Election Commission has yet to announce the dates.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won nine seats in Maharashtra, while Congress secured 13 seats. The Shiv Sena and NCP won seven and one seats, respectively. The Shiv Sena (UBT) got nine seats, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) won eight seats.
Doubts Revealed
Ajit Pawar -: Ajit Pawar is a politician from Maharashtra, a state in India. He is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and has held various important positions in the state government.
Raj Thackeray -: Raj Thackeray is a politician in Maharashtra and the founder of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a regional political party.
Maharashtra assembly elections -: These are elections held to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of Maharashtra, which is like a big meeting where important decisions for the state are made.
PM Modi -: PM Modi refers to Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister of India. He is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Lok Sabha elections -: Lok Sabha elections are held to choose members of the Lok Sabha, which is the lower house of India’s Parliament. It is like a big group of people who make laws for the whole country.
CM Eknath Shinde -: Eknath Shinde is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Chief Minister is like the head of the state government.
Mahayuti allies -: Mahayuti is a coalition of political parties in Maharashtra. Allies are the parties that work together in this coalition.
Sanjay Raut -: Sanjay Raut is a politician from Maharashtra and a member of the Shiv Sena party. He is also a spokesperson for the party.
MVA -: MVA stands for Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is an alliance of three political parties in Maharashtra: Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Indian National Congress.
Uddhav Thackeray -: Uddhav Thackeray is a politician and the leader of the Shiv Sena party. He was also the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Congress leaders -: Congress leaders are members of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties in India.
Sanjay Nirupam -: Sanjay Nirupam is a politician from Maharashtra and a member of the Indian National Congress. He has also been a Member of Parliament.
power-seeking -: Power-seeking means trying to gain more control or influence, especially in politics.
tenure -: Tenure refers to the period during which someone holds a particular position or office. In this context, it means the current government’s time in office, which ends in 2024.
