(Image source from: Lokmat.com)

During a meeting among the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi partners: Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP -- Congress rejected Shiv Sena's demand for 23 seats in Maharashtra for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This request was made despite the fact that the Shiv Sena is divided into two factions, with the majority supporting Eknath Shinde. The faction led by Uddhav Thackeray is facing a significant challenge due to a lack of candidates resulting from the party's division. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam emphasized that the grand old party is the only one with a stable vote share in the state, following splits in the Shiv Sena and NCP. Ashok Chavan, former Chief Minister and senior Maharashtra Congress leader, stressed the need for adjustment among the parties and deemed the demand for 23 seats by the Shiv Sena excessive given the current circumstances. Nirupam further urged leaders to avoid conflicts over winning seats.

What will be done with them? Shiv Sena is facing a crisis as their leaders have departed. The scarcity of candidates poses a challenge for Shiv Sena. Recently, Sanjay Raut, a member of Shiv Sena (UBT), revealed that he, along with Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray, engaged in discussions with Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and K C Venugopal of the Congress before the recent meeting of the Opposition bloc INDIA.

Raut did not disclose the Congress and NCP's plans regarding the number of seats they would contest. In 2019, the undivided Shiv Sena was a part of the BJP-led NDA alliance. However, the party led by Uddhav Thackeray is now a member of the MVA, alongside the Congress and the NCP. In June 2022, Eknath Shinde and 40 other MLAs rebelled against the Shiv Sena leadership, resulting in a split within the party and the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Following this, Shinde formed a coalition with the BJP to establish the state government.