Lok Sabha polls: Amid MVA seat-sharing discussions, Sharad Pawar meets Uddhav

Mumbai: With consensus eluding Maha Vikas Aghadi on an agreeable seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar on Monday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in suburban Mumbai.

Pawar was accompanied by Jayant Patil, who heads the Maharashtra unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was also present at the meeting held at Matoshree, the private residence of Thackeray.

Notably, the deadline for filing nominations for the five seats going to polls in the first phase on April 19 is just two days away.

The talks assume significance as MVA is yet to declare a seat-sharing formula and candidates for the first phase, apparently due to overlapping claims on certain seats.

One of the MVA members, Congress, has so far declared 12 candidates for Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, in seats where there is no tussle with its alliance partners, whereas Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) are yet to formally declare their nominees.

Earlier in the day, Raut said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will declare 15-16 candidates on Tuesday.

Thackeray had indicated that Amol Kirtikar (Mumbai North-West), Chandrahar Patil (Sangli) and Anant Gete (Raigad) will be the candidates of Shiv Sena (UBT) from these constituencies.

With March 27 being the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase, the parties which have not yet declared nominees for the five constituencies have to expedite the process.