MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Ekanth Shinde late on Monday held a meeting of all 13 Shiv Sena MPs and initiated preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Even though there are only 13 out of the 18 Sena MPs from Maharashtra with Shinde, the Shinde Sena has staked claim to 22 Lok Sabha seats that the Shiv Sena had fought in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when it was in alliance with the BJP. With the Sena now claiming 22 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, seat sharing may become a tricky affair for the Shinde-BJP-Ajit alliance.
Sena MP Rahul Shewale said that while all 13 MPs were present, a review of all 22 Lok Sabha seats was taken during the meeting. “All MPs were present. All seats that were fought by the Sena in 2019, which is 22 seats, were reviewed. The political situation in those seats and the party machinery there was reviewed. Apart from the 13 MP seats, the 22 constituencies, a review was taken to ensure that a Sena candidate wins from these seats as part of the Sena-BJP-NCP (Ajit faction) alliance. This review was also taken,” Shewale said.
"CM Shinde will announce the candidates. For now there was a discussion on strengthening the party machinery there. And as far as the rest of the seats are concerned, a decision will be taken after talks with the BJP and NCP (Ajit faction). So we are starting preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. There is no question about the 13 sitting MPs, and for the rest of the seats that Sena fought in 2019, CM Shinde will take a decision, but after talking with BJP and NCP (Ajit faction). There was some suspicion among the MPs over the seats, so clarity was given on who would fight. The sitting candidates will get the ticket again,” Shewale said.
Shewale said the party will appoint a minister each for 1or 2 Lok Sabha seats each to organise the party machinery in those seats and ensure the Sena candidate wins.
The Shiv Sena had won 19 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but now 13 are with the CM Shinde led faction. The Shiv Sena had a total of 19 MPs, 18 from Maharashtra and Kalaben Delkar from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The BJP-Shiv Sena combine had in 2019 won 41 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, while the Congress won one and NCP 4 seats. While the Sena won 18, the BJP won 23 seats. The BJP and Shiv Sena contested 25 and 23 seats respectively. Congress fielded its candidates in 25 seats while NCP contested 19 seats. The Congress-NCP had shared the remaining four seats with their allies.
