MVA seat-sharing likely to be finalised by February 27

The seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha election between parties in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to be finalised on February 27, said leaders from the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction on Thursday.

Even as both the MVA partners claimed that seat-sharing arrangements were going smoothly between the parties that constituted the Opposition in Maharashtra, tensions between the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi – the latest inductee in the MVA – and the Congress continued to persist, while Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut reiterated again that his party would contest on 23 of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the State.

“There is complete unity within the MVA, including Mr. Ambedkar’s VBA, regarding the seat-sharing process. We are taking great care in the process and there is excellent coordination among the MVA partners. The heads of all MVA parties [Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction, the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena (UBT) and Mr. Ambedkar] will be meeting on February 27 to take a final decision on the seat-sharing arrangement,” Mr. Raut said.