Mumbai, Jun 20 (PTI) Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam on Thursday said his party should get at least 100 assembly seats, out of the total 288, to contest in the upcoming Maharashtra polls or else “all seats are ours”.
The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition which also includes the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
“We had contested on more than 100 seats (in 2019 as united Shiv Sena). At least give us 100 seats. We should get it and this is rightfully ours. Otherwise all seats are ours. If we our brothers then lets share and eat. What is the problem?” he told Marathi news channel ABP Majha.
Later, when contacted Kadam denied making any such statement.
Assembly elections are due in the state in October.
Speaking at the Shiv Sena’s 58th Foundation Day event on Wednesday evening in Mumbai, Kadam had said his party should get to contest at least 100 assembly seats.
“We should get 100 seats to contest, and we will make sure that we win 90 of them,” the former state minister said at the event, which was also attended by Chief Minister Shinde.
Notably, Maharashtra cabinet minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal recently said his party should get 80-90 assembly seats to contest.
The Shiv Sena and the NCP suffered split in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and one faction each aligned with the BJP, which is currently the largest party in the 288-member assembly.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later said the BJP is the largest party and will contest more seats in the state election, but did not go into numbers.
However, a seat-sharing formula will be finalised only after leaders of the three partners meet and discuss the issue, Fadnavis maintained.
In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Mahayuti won 17 out of the 48 seats in the state. The BJP won 9 seats, the Shiv Sena 7 and the NCP one.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), bagged 30 seats. PTI PR ND KRK GK RSY
About the Author
