Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Amol Mitkari has sparked speculation about the possibility of Mahayuti alliance members contesting the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections independently. This speculation arose after Mitkari highlighted the impracticality of accommodating each constituent’s demand for 100 seats within the 288-seat Maharashtra assembly. His comments have drawn criticism from the BJP. Speaking at an event on Tuesday evening, Mitkari emphasized the challenges of meeting such demands.
The Mahayuti alliance includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
“If each constituent adamantly insists on contesting 100 assembly seats in the upcoming state elections, then the parties will have to contest separately. With only 288 assembly seats available, being offered only 55 seats would be unacceptable for the party,” said Mitkari, who is an MLC and NCP spokesperson.
Pravin Darekar, BJP legislative party leader in the Legislative Council, responded by saying that Mitkari should be reined in by senior leaders of his party. He urged the party’s chief or state president to clarify whether Mitkari is authorized to make such comments. Darekar added that seat-sharing discussions will take place among the top leaders.
