Sources: Congress and Allies in Maharashtra Reach Agreement on 39 Seats, Nine Yet to be Allocated

Efforts to finalize seat-sharing agreements for the upcoming general elections in Maharashtra have progressed, according to sources on Friday. Congress has reportedly made headway in negotiations with allies for 39 out of the state's 48 seats. This comes after Rahul Gandhi's outreach to Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party. Additionally, the party has already secured deals with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party for 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh and with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party for three seats in Delhi.

Efforts are also being made to restart talks with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, which hit a roadblock last month over seat allocation in West Bengal. Congress sources indicate a willingness to compromise, lowering their demand to five seats, but Trinamool appears adamant on its stance.

However, challenges remain within Maharashtra's alliance, particularly concerning disagreements over eight seats, including two in Mumbai. The delay is further exacerbated by demands from Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, which seeks five seats despite not securing any victories in previous elections.

The dynamics are further complicated by recent defections, notably Ashok Chavan's move to BJP, which has put Congress in a precarious position. Shiv Sena, capitalizing on Congress's weakened position, seeks a larger share of seats in Mumbai.

Despite these challenges, all parties recognize the urgency of reaching a consensus, acknowledging the formidable challenge posed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP machinery in the upcoming elections. The coalition, formed in June, has already witnessed the departure of key members like Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtra Lok Dal, both of which have aligned with the BJP.