*Shiv Sena ( UBT ) wants to contest 20 seats in Mumbai, Congress 15 and NCP-SP 7*

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has started discussions on a potential seat-sharing formula for the upcoming state assembly elections, beginning with Mumbai. In a meeting held on Saturday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) staked its claim on 20 seats. The Congress sought 15 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) wanted to contest seven seats. The parties are expected to finalise the seat-sharing formula in a meeting likely to be held next week. In the 2019 assembly polls, the three parties had won 20 of the 36 seats in Mumbai, so the discussion would be about sharing the remaining 16 seats. The undivided Shiv Sena had won 14 seats, the Congress could win four, while the undivided NCP and Samajwadi Party had won one seat each. After the split in the Shiv Sena and NCP over the last two years, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Sena has the support of eight MLAs, whereas NCP-SP has none as Nawab Malik, who was elected from Anushakti Nagar, sided with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. MVA insid...