MVA to try to end squabble on three LS seats as poll campaign suffers

Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Maharashtra's opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will meet to discuss and resolve the tug-of-war between the Congress and the Shiv Sena-UBT over at least three Lok Sabha seats and the fallout on the poll campaign, party sources said here on Wednesday.

The MVA top leaders including Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s state President Jayant Patil will sit across the table to sort out the contentious Sangli, Mumbai North West, and Mumbai South seats, which the Congress is claiming the three seats but the Shiv Sena-UBT has already announced candidates – Arvind Sawant (Mumbai South), Amol G. Kirtikar (Mumbai North West) and Chandrahar Patil (Sangli).

Hoping to avoid a divide in the MVA, some leaders have proposed a "friendly contest" in these three constituencies, but the Shiv Sena-UBT rejected the suggestion.

However, the party is experiencing an alarming fallout of its decision – Congress workers are reportedly boycotting the polls campaign of its candidates in several seats including Sangli, Bhiwandi, Mumbai and other constituencies.

The meeting is expected to sort out the issues of the three seats as well as win over the Congress workers to campaign for the Shiv Sena-UBT candidates in various constituencies where they are purportedly keeping off the poll trail.

Congress state President Nana Patole said on Wednesday that the party is still insistent on taking Bhiwandi, Sangli, and Mumbai seats "and we will evolve an amicable solution through negotiations only", as a very conducive atmosphere has developed for the MVA and INDIA bloc.

He said that it is imperative for the MVA partners to work unitedly for the common goal of ousting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power at the Centre in the interest of democracy and protecting the Constitution.