Mumbai, October 26: Even as consensus over seat-sharing eludes the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday said that his party is in talks with the allies about some seats in Mumbai. Talking to reporters after meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence, Thorat said they discussed planning for campaign meetings and the manifesto.

"AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge asked me to conduct negotiations through mutual understanding. Talks are on about certain seats in Mumbai," he said. The MVA constituents, Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), had earlier announced to contest 85 seats each in the Maharashtra assembly elections. However, discussions on the final seat-sharing pact are still underway. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Congress Issues Second List of 23 Candidates, Fields Suresh Y Bhoyar Against BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Nagpur; Check Full List Here.

Balasaheb Thorat Meets Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray

Asked if the Congress would contest more than 100 seats, Thorat said he didn't keep a count, and the party was contesting as the MVA alliance, which will win more than 180 seats and get its chief minister. The Congress leader said the MVA has kept 18 seats for other friendly parties. Thorat rubbished reports about party leader Rahul Gandhi's unhappiness with the state leaders during the CEC meeting. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Samajwadi Party Again Bares Fangs at MVA, Threatens To Go Solo in State Polls.

"He did ask why Congress couldn't get some seats during the discussions. Every party wants more share. But when we are contesting in a three-party alliance, there are limitations," he said. Elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20, and the counting will take place on November 23.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)