With Monday the last date for withdrawing poll nominations in Maharashtra, all the parties in the state were involved in hectic parleys with rebel candidates on Sunday in an attempt to get them to stand down and avoid any division of votes.

For the Congress, All India Congress Committee’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state chief Nana Patole, and state executive president Naseem Khan led the negotiations with the rebels, hoping to persuade them to withdraw their papers. To convince the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s rebels, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis held talks with CM Eknath Shinde for more than three hours on Sunday to chalk out a strategy, said a source.

While the BJP managed to persuade some of its recalcitrant leaders in Vidarbha, Mumbai, and Western Maharashtra, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena also managed to convince some of its rebels to withdraw.

“Our party leaders have interacted with all the rebels and managed to convince the maximum number of rebels. However there are a few seats where the rebels are not willing to withdraw,” said a Shiv Sena leader, adding that the party would not withdraw its candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai Suburban district where ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has fielded former state minister Nawab Malik.

According to sources in Ajit Pawar’s NCP, talks were held with allies, especially the Shiv Sena, to find a way out of a deadlock in seats such as Dindori and Deolali the two party’s leaders have filed nominations.

According to sources in the Congress, Mohsin Haider from Andheri West, Madhu Chavan from Byculla, and Jayashree Patil from Sangli had been persuaded to withdraw their nomination. NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil told The Indian Express, there would be no friendly fights between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies. “Leaders of all parties within the MVA will ensure that respective party rebels will withdraw,” said Patil.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also agreed with Patil and said all the rebels in the Opposition MVA coalition would withdraw their nomination by Monday afternoon. “There are multiple MVA candidates in such constituencies. In some places, it has happened due to misunderstanding and in other places, we are investigating why it happened … Similar thing has happened with the Congress and the NCP (SP) too in some places. We are constantly communicating and are in touch with the leaders of all our allies. We will make sure there are one-on-one fights between the ruling alliance and the Opposition,” he said.

After the nomination window closed on October 29, there were at least 50 rebels from both sides with the potential to damage the electoral prospects of their party’s official candidates. A major chunk, 36, was from the Mahayuti while the rest were from the Opposition camp. Most of the rebels were from the BJP at 19, followed by 16 from the Shiv Sena, and one from the NCP. In the MVA, most rebels, 10, were from the Congress followed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP).