"MVA has to defeat BJP, reviewed every seat": Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Maharashtra polls

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 2 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that every seat was being discussed and reviewed in the Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting as the alliance has to defeat the BJP on every seat in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
"Leaders of both the Left parties came today. All these parties were with us in the Lok Sabha, so there was a discussion on what we could give them in the Assembly elections... Today is the fourth day of discussions. Every seat is being discussed as we have to defeat the BJP on every seat, so every seat is being reviewed," Raut told reporters.
The leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi ( MVA) on Wednesday held a meeting to discuss seat sharing for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said that the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi will make an announcement on several seats before Dussehra and discussion on more than 150 seats was done in today's meeting.
Patole said, "We will soon finish this and will make announcements on several seats before Dussehra. Discussion on more than 150 seats has been done in today's meeting. We will decide based on merits. Soon there will be clarity on the seat discussion."
Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi asserted that the MVA alliance will fight strongly.
"MVA will fight strongly. The seats could be less and more. People are being divided in the name of religion. We are asking for 12 seats," he said.
The MVA also held a meeting on Tuesday. After attending the meeting, Nationalist Congress Party-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad said that there is no enmity and discussion is happening well.
"It was a long meeting and there is no enmity, discussion is happening well...Around 288 seats were discussed," Awhad said.
Further, targeting Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis over her "Vote Jihad" remarks, Patole said that the former should be ashamed.
"Devendra Fadnavis should be ashamed...He is the Home Minister of the state and holds a constitutional post...Devendra Fadnavis himself wants to do the same cheap politics that the BJP does by making such statements and fighting on the basis of religion during elections...Congress demands that Devendra Fadnavis should apologise to the people of the state (for his statement)," Patole said.
The 288 seats Maharashtra Assembly will go to polls later this year. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the poll dates.
The upcoming Maharashtra election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). (ANI)