Advantage NCP: How Sharad Pawar flipped MVA crisis into an opportunity

The MVA has set aside 85 seats for Sharad Pawar's faction of the NCP. (File photo: PTI)

It’s not for nothing that Sharad Pawar is referred to as the man for all seasons in Indian politics. Less than two years ago, the Maratha strongman who founded the Nationalist Congress Party 25 years ago, was struggling to keep his flock intact after a rebellion by his nephew Ajit Pawar and the subsequent defection of a large chunk of party leaders.

Eighteen months on, he finds himself in the middle of another crisis – this time within the Maha Vikas Aghadi – and making the most out of it.

Two days ago, MVA constituents Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) announced an initial seat-sharing formula of 85 seats each. The deal came as a stopgap measure after the Mahayuti stole the march and announced candidates for more than half of the 288 seats in Maharashtra even as the Shiv Sean (UBT) and the Congress kept bickering for days.

The Shiv Sena and the Congress have been locked in a bitter fight to corner at least 100 seats for itself. The underlying idea behind the bid was to ensure undisputed claim to chief ministership in the event of an MVA victory in the polls.

The Sena has been demanding that the alliance project Uddhav Thackeray as its CM face while the Congress, buoyed by its performance in the Lok Sabha where it emerged as the single largest party in the state, winning 13 of the 48 seats, is hopeful of getting one of its many leaders to the coveted chair in the state.

While Pawar has made no claim so far to the chief ministerial chair – and having set sight on contesting 70-75 seats – the recent seat-sharing agreement puts his faction of the NCP within touching distance of claiming the post.

The unexpected outcome speaks volumes about Pawar’s political heft and as well as the skills he carries sitting on the negotiation table. The Indian Express reports citing sources that during the talks, Pawar deftly exchanged some constituencies with his allies as well, getting more by giving up on a few seats.

For instance, he conceded the Patan seat in western Maharashtra, which his party has not won in the last 10 years, for the Sena (UBT), getting a few other seats in return in the Marathwada region. Also, he is set to induct a sitting Independent MLA from the Chandrapur seat, Kishor Jorgewar, into his party fold, thereby gaining another seat, the report said.

Notably, Pawar played a key role in ending the impasse during discussions between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). Leaders from the Sena as well as Congress approached Pawar after talks hit a dead-end. Pawar eventually proved to be the key factor behind getting all parties back to the discussion table.

So far, the MVA has announced seat-sharing for 255 seats while 18 of the remaining 33 seats are to be set aside for smaller parties and the race is still on between Congress and Sena on at least 15 seats with neither side willing to cede their claim to 100 seats yet.

“We are already nearing a century…If we hit two-four sixes, then we will complete the century. We have reached 85 (seats). And the game is still on. There is one more day left of the game, so we will take the remaining runs too,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut told reporters on Thursday.

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, was also optimistic about the Congress crossing a “century”, saying the 15 seats would be exchanged between the three allies in such a way that the party’s total seats would be between 100 and 105.

In the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year, the MVA bagged 30 seats out of 48 while the ruling Mahayuti was restricted to 17 seats. Among the MVA partners, the Congress performed the best, winning 13 of the 17 seats it contested. The Sena (UBT) won nine of the 21 seats it contested while the NCP(SP) registered the best strike rate, winning eight of the 10 constituencies it fielded candidates from.