Seat-Sharing Challenges Confront CM Eknath Shinde, Tough Decisions Loom Ahead

Mumbai: Given the tug-of-war between the Grand Alliance over three seats, the Shinde faction needs to secure the nomination for 16 seats if it intends to contest on those three seats while keeping constituencies of the remaining seven MPs. The likelihood of this happening is very slim and it is certain that the group will have to sacrifice some of its seats. 

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Shinde has so far fielded seven MPs. Five MPs are yet to be nominated. There is a lot of competition between him and The Ajit Pawar group for the Nashik seat. He and the BJP are locked in a tug-of-war over the Palghar seat. The BJP wants the north-west seat, adding to Shinde's troubles. 

Of the 13 MPs Shinde had, he fielded seven and denied tickets to one. He announced a total of eight candidates. Now, to give a chance to all the remaining five MPs, Shinde will have to win at least 13 seats in the Grand Alliance and 16 seats if he also wants to get the three seats he is insisting on. 

Shinde MPs who has been nominated
Prataprao Jadhav, Rahul Shewale, Sadashiv Lokhande, Dhairyashil Mane, Sanjay Mandlik, Hemant Patil, Shrirang Barne.

MPs waiting
Bhavna Gawli, Hemant Godse, Gajanan Kirtikar, Rajendra Gavit, Shrikant Shinde. 

Struggle for these seats
The Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat is believed to have almost gone to the BJP. They are insisting on getting Thane's seat, but the BJP has made it a prestigious seat. In Nashik, the Shinde faction and the Ajit Pawar faction are locked in a battle, with the BJP trying to wrest the seat.