In a significant development ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Prakash Ambedkar, president of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and grandson of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, joined the seat-sharing discussions of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc on Friday.
Sanjay Raut from Shiv Sena (UBT), a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), shared a photo of Ambedkar being welcomed at the meeting in Mumbai. Alongside the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), the Congress and the NCP faction under party founder Sharad Pawar are partners in the MVA.
MVA leaders indicate that the allies are close to finalizing a comprehensive seat-sharing agreement, with discussions still pending on 10 to 12 seats. Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh's 80.