By Deepak Tijori 
Amidst the intense negotiations surrounding seat allocations with allies of the INDIA bloc ahead of the national elections, Rahul Gandhi, amidst his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, engaged in a significant one-hour conversation with Uddhav Thackeray to address the deadlock over eight crucial Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
The Congress is reportedly vying for three of Mumbai’s six Lok Sabha seats – Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North Central, and Mumbai North West. Conversely, Uddhav Thackeray is purportedly seeking to contest 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state, including four in Mumbai – Mumbai South, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, and Mumbai South Central. The negotiations, mired in complexities, underscore the uncharted territory faced by the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, comprising Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and the Congress.
Having formed an ideologically disparate alliance post the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the alliance has managed to secure agreements on nearly 40 seats but remains deadlocked on eight crucial constituencies. The Shiv Sena, previously contesting 22 out of Maharashtra’s 48 seats in the 2019 polls and emerging victorious in 18, including three in Mumbai, severed its 25-year alliance with the BJP over power-sharing disputes following the Maharashtra state elections.
The recent defections of prominent Congress leaders like Ashok Chavan and Milind Deora to the BJP have further complicated the negotiations. This development has prompted Uddhav Thackeray’s party to demand a larger share of Mumbai seats. Nevertheless, leaders from all sides, including Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge, remain resolute in their determination to navigate through the challenges, recognizing the existential stakes for each party involved.
As the seat-sharing discussions unfold amidst political turbulence, the outcome of these negotiations holds significant implications not only for Maharashtra’s political landscape but also for the broader dynamics of national politics.