Mumbai, May 29 (IANS) The NCP core committee, chaired by party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, on Friday staked claim over Raigad, Pune, and Parbhani local body constituencies seats for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council polls slated for June 18. The last date for filing nominations is June 1.
The meeting was attended by Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal, former Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, former minister Dhananjay Munde, and MP Parth Pawar.
Speaking to reporters, Tatkare, accompanied by Bhujbal, expressed confidence that the deadlock over the Maha Yuti alliance’s seat‑sharing for the Legislative Council elections would be resolved by tomorrow afternoon. He clarified that all three parties had reached a consensus to contest all 17 seats of the Maha Yuti collectively. Detailed discussions were held regarding the seat‑sharing formula, potential candidates and election strategy, he said.
Tatkare stated that discussions on seat sharing among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and NCP are in the final stages, and clarity will emerge by tomorrow afternoon. “The final decision on how many seats the BJP will contest, which seats Shiv Sena will field candidates for, and which seats will come to the NCP’s share will be made by Saturday afternoon. We have presented our stance on how many seats the NCP wants before the Chief Minister,” he said.
He added that, since June 1 is the deadline for filing nomination papers, discussions within the Maha Yuti are moving rapidly. “The process of filing nominations is ongoing on Saturday. Since Sunday is a holiday, a final decision is expected by tomorrow afternoon. Following that, the candidates for the seats allocated to the NCP will be announced,” he clarified.
Tatkare also mentioned that while many aspirants are pushing for candidacies, no names have been finalised yet. He clarified that the upcoming extended executive committee meeting in his native village, Sutarwadi, has no connection with the Legislative Council elections.
Regarding the Raigad seat, he noted that both Shiv Sena and NCP are strongly claiming it. “It is natural for every party to want a seat for themselves. However, the final decision will be taken by the three top leaders of the Maha Yuti, and a respectful seat‑sharing arrangement will be made.”
He explicitly denied rumours regarding political trade‑offs, stating that no proposal had been given to anyone to trade a Legislative Council seat in exchange for a Guardian Minister post.
Sunetra Pawar, party working president Praful Patel, and state unit president Sunil Thakre spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the party’s desire to field nominees in Raigad, Pune, and Parbhani local body constituency seats. The CM told them to discuss the issue later tonight to arrive at a consensus.
The core committee decided to make a decision after the CM conveys the final seat‑sharing arrangement among the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP. Of the 17 seats, BJP is eyeing 11, comprising 10 local body constituencies and Nagpur, where a by‑poll will take place; Shiv Sena 4; and NCP 2 to 3.
An NCP leader said, “The party is keen to contest Raigad, Pune, and Parbhani, considering its strength. The names will be shortlisted and finalised after the BJP shares the seat‑sharing arrangement.” Sources said the committee was of the view that the candidates for these seats should be selected based on their work for the party and their ability to contribute to its growth.
Another leader stated that if the party gets Pune seat in its quota, the core committee suggested that party chief Sunetra Pawar, former Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, and MP Parth Pawar should take a final decision.
In the case of the Raigad seat, former legislator Sunil Tatkare’s son, Aniket Tatkare, is the sole frontrunner for the nomination.
Today’s was the maiden meeting, which took place after significant political confusion gripped the NCP following the release of a list detailing its new National Executive. The document, submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI), has intensified discussions across Maharashtra as it appeared to sideline veteran heavyweights in favour of the next generation of the Pawar family.
Eyebrows were raised when the names of senior stalwarts, including Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, and Dilip Walse Patil, were reportedly missing from the executive list dated April 29. However, the party later clarified that Patel and Tatkare continue to hold the posts of national working president and state president, respectively, and that they are members of the newly constituted national working committee.
–IANS
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