The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition is on the verge of finalising its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, according to politicians involved in the discussions. The agreement, expected to be sealed within days, will see the Congress party take the lead role as the senior partner in the alliance.
Congress to Spearhead MVA Charge in Kolhapur
Sources revealed that within the MVA, the Congress is poised to contest the highest number of seats, capitalising on its position as the largest party in the 2015 civic polls. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP (SP) will follow. Insiders indicated that the NCP (SP)'s bargaining power has been affected following the split in the original party.
In a related development on Monday, key leaders from the MVA constituents announced a united front for the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation elections. The announcement was made by NCP (SP) MLA Jayant Patil, Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, and independent MP from Sangli, Vishal Patil.
MP Vishal Patil has been tasked with spearheading the MVA's campaign for the Sangli civic polls. "All MVA parties will fight the Sangli election together," stated Jayant Patil. He criticised the incumbent administration for neglecting the city and affirmed that the alliance would contest on basic local issues. The seat-sharing formula for Sangli is also slated for finalisation in the next two to three days. The BJP had won the Sangli civic body in 2018, and its term concluded in 2023.
BJP's Dominant Role in Mahayuti for Kolhapur
On the other side of the political divide, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is consolidating its strategy for the Kolhapur battle. Rajya Sabha member Dhananjay Mahadik stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would play the dominant role within the Mahayuti for the KMC election.
Mahadik disclosed that the alliance interviewed hundreds of potential candidates over two days and its seat-sharing pact would be announced shortly. The alliance plans to prioritise candidates with strong winning potential and allocate at least 30% of tickets to young faces.
Explaining the rationale for BJP's senior status, Mahadik said, "The seats we won in the 2015 elections will remain with the respective parties, while seats previously held by Congress will be distributed among Mahayuti partners. Hence, BJP will be the senior partner in this alliance."
Ichalkaranji Set for Mahayuti vs MVA Showdown
Another significant electoral battleground shaping up is Ichalkaranji. Although formal announcements are awaited, the city is likely to witness a direct contest between the Mahayuti and the MVA. This will be the first election for the Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation, which was formed in 2022 and has been under an administrator's rule since.
In Ichalkaranji, the Mahayuti camp is expected to be led by sitting MLA Rahul Awade, along with former MLAs Prakash Awade and Suresh Halwankar. The MVA, meanwhile, has not yet projected a clear leader for the fray. However, Congress MLC Satej Patil is actively conducting meetings with local leaders to finalise the alliance's candidates and strategy.
The political landscape in Maharashtra's key urban centres is heating up, with major alliances firming up their strategies for crucial municipal corporation elections that are seen as a key test of political strength ahead of larger state polls.
