The much-anticipated seat-sharing negotiations among the five constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the upcoming Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections hit a major roadblock on Saturday. Despite a broad understanding reached a day earlier, talks between the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) failed to make any headway.
Consensus Unravels Over Fresh Demands
According to sources within the Shiv Sena (UBT), the alliance partners had seemingly reached a consensus on distributing approximately 100 to 110 seats during a meeting held on Thursday. This had raised hopes that the final seat-sharing formula would be sealed during the joint discussion scheduled for Saturday. However, the talks broke down unexpectedly.
The deadlock occurred after the Congress and the NCP (SP) insisted on reopening discussions from the very beginning. They demanded fresh negotiations on all 122 seats of the civic body, contrary to the earlier understanding. A senior Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary expressed disappointment, stating, "We expected to finalise the distribution today. But Congress and NCP (SP) wanted fresh discussions on all seats, due to which no agreement could be reached."
Friendly Contest Demand Extends Deadlock
Compounding the impasse, sources revealed that the Congress and NCP (SP) also put forward a demand for friendly contests in certain electoral wards. This additional condition further complicated the negotiations. With no resolution in sight, local leaders from the involved parties eventually walked out of the meeting. It has now been decided that another round of talks will likely be held on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to salvage the alliance.
Contingency Plan: A Three-Party Alliance
Amid the uncertainty, the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and CPM have reaffirmed their commitment to contest the January 15 polls together, even if the broader MVA coalition falls apart. Sources within the UBT camp indicated, "We will continue talks with Congress and NCP (SP), but if no consensus is reached, we will proceed with our alliance." This three-party bloc is prepared to go it alone.
Both the UBT and the MNS have already formally announced their intention to participate in the elections and have expressed a willingness to include the CPM, Congress, and NCP (SP) in a unified MVA front. However, the current stalemate puts that unity in jeopardy.
In a related development, ahead of the polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray held a meeting with local office-bearers of both UBT and MNS during his visit to Nashik on Friday. He directed them to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement based on the principle of 'winability' that was adopted during the Mumbai civic polls, ensuring that candidates with the strongest prospects are given priority.
