Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut affirmed on Monday that the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by Prakash Ambedkar,is very much part of the opposition alliance in Maharashtra. The alliance aims to counter the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, which are scheduled to take place in a few months.
Speaking to reporters here, Raut said Ambedkar has held talks with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray a number of times in connection with the Lok Sabha elections and the seat-sharing formula. Maharashtra comprises 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Raut expressed that Ambedkar had previously contested the Lok Sabha election in Akola, Maharashtra, and could potentially do so again. He emphasized the support of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) within the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.
Some decisions have been made already. The people of Maharashtra would not vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been damaging the Constitution framed by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Raut claimed. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi announced an alliance in January last year. However, there has been no official announcement of the VBA being a part of the opposition INDIA bloc, an alliance formed by several parties to take on the ruling NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.