Shah holds late-night meeting with Maharashtra CM, DyCM on Lok Sabha seat-sharing

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a late-night meeting on Friday with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The meeting took place at Shah's residence here in the national capital. At around 12:45 am, Maharashtra CM Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar were seen leaving from Shah's residence after the meeting.

The meeting on seat-sharing within the Mahayuti Alliance in Maharashtra began at around 7:00 pm. The Mahayuti Alliance includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party-Ajit Pawar faction. BJP National President JP Nadda along with the party's state president Praful Patel were also present in the meeting. Deliberation on seat-sharing formula within the alliance in Maharashtra was made, sources said.

Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday asserted that everything is going well between the Mahayuti Alliance in the state, and discussions are still underway on two or three seats that will be resolved soon. Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis said,"Whenever it comes to ticket distribution for the Lok Sabha, it is based on the ground reality only."

"Everything is going well between the three parties of our alliance. Discussion is still going on two or three seats on which there was a deadlock but that too will be resolved soon. There is no dispute of any kind between us. There should not be any speculation about the seats before the announcement because it seems incorrect. Whatever decision will be taken will come before you in a day or two," he said. "Whenever it comes to ticket distribution for Lok Sabha, any party or any leader can make any demand, but when the decision on ticket distribution is taken, it will be based on the ground reality only," he added.