"Looks like they don't want to give seats...": Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi again warns MVA in Maharashtra

Oct 26, 2024

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 27 : Reiterating the party's demand of five seats, Samajwadi Party Maharashtra Chief Abu Azmi said that if seats are not given to the party, it will have no option but to contest alone.
Speaking to ANI, Azmi said that party chief Akhilesh Yadav has given him complete authority to decide on the matter. Taking a jibe at the Congress party, Azmi said that they are not like the Congress party where even big leaders have to seek permission for Delhi.
He further said that he hasn't received any call from Sharad Pawar and expressed concern that SP may again face "betrayal" like the previous two terms. Azmi added that he does not want the Maha Vikas Aghadi to break but he will make his decision within two days.
"We spoke to Sharad Pawar yesterday. He said that we will decide today but I did not receive any call today. The seats which I had been demanding are being announced. I think that we are going to face betrayal like the previous two terms. Looks like they don't want to give seats to the Samajwadi Party. I don't want the MVA to break and the votes to be divided but if they don't listen to us then we won't have an option but to contest alone. I have spoken to Akhilesh Yadav. He has given me complete authority," he said.
"We are not like Congress where even the big leaders have to go to Delhi to seek permission for everything, which is causing the delay...It is already late only two days are left. I will make my decision within these two days," the SP leader added.
Notably, the Samajwadi Party is part of the MVA alliance, which also includes the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP).
Earlier on Saturday, Abu Azmi issued a stern warning to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, saying that if the party is not given five seats, it will be compelled to announce candidates on as many as 25 seats.
Shiv Sena UBT leader and MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) needs 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' in the seat-sharing formula in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the MVA alliance revealed its seat-sharing arrangement for 255 constituencies, assigning 85 seats to each party. The remaining 23 seats in the state Assembly will be allocated based on their respective party candidate lists.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.