Mahayuti faces intense seat-sharing deadlock ahead of Maharashtra MLC polls

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Among the 17 seats set to fall vacant this year, the BJP holds seven, Shiv Sena five, NCP three, and Congress two, reflecting the local institutional strength of the parties. Capitalising on its past dominance, the BJP has now staked a claim to 12 seats.

Mahayuti

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar during the inauguration of Mumbai-Pune Expressway 'Missing Link' project on May 1, 2026 (PTI photo)

Mumbai,UPDATED: May 25, 2026 23:29 IST

The political atmosphere in Maharashtra is heating up as the election bugle has been sounded for 17 seats of the state Legislative Council. With nominations kicking off on May 25, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is caught in a severe seat-sharing tussle. The changed political dynamics of the state have turned the upcoming election into a high-stakes battle.

Among the 17 seats set to fall vacant this year, the BJP holds seven, Shiv Sena five, NCP three, and Congress two, reflecting the local institutional strength of the parties. Capitalising on its past dominance, the BJP has now staked a claim to 12 seats.

However, its ally Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena is firmly demanding seven seats, while the third constituent of the alliance, the NCP, expects at least three, including the crucial Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency.

Amid the buzz about a rift, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that discussions are being held within the coalition. He highlighted that talks are underway with the Shiv Sena over the Nashik and Sambhajinagar seats, and with the NCP regarding the Pune seat.

Fadnavis exuded confidence that the alliance will manage to break the deadlock and find an amicable solution very soon. Adding to the internal discussions, NCP leader Umesh Patil dismissed rumours regarding the candidacy of Jay Pawar, the son of late party supremo Ajit Pawar.

He clarified that Jay will not contest the upcoming Legislative Assembly polls and a dedicated grassroots worker from Pune will be given the opportunity instead. Patil emphasised that because local corporators and Zilla Parishad members form the primary voter base, a united front will secure victory across all regions.

Meanwhile, the opposition has seized the opportunity to take a dig at the ruling alliance. NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar targeted the BJP over its ambitious claims. He alleged that the saffron party is not only eyeing its allies' seats but is also planning to engineer defections from them to field them on its own tickets in the 2029 Assembly polls.