Nagpur, March 26 The Congress on Tuesday called upon the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) to accommodate Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's demands to ensure he remains with the Opposition alliance.
The VBA, led by Prakash Ambedkar, has reportedly staked claim on at least 6 Lok Sabha seats, but the MVA is reluctant to give up such a large chunk, having offered him 4 constituencies in the past which he had rejected outright and even snapped ties with MVA.
Maharashtra unit Congress President Nana Patole said that his party had taken one step forward to accept Ambedkar's conditions and asked the other MVA allies to consider it positively.
Party leaders explained that in case the MVA concedes to the VBA demands, each of the major allies may have to part with two seats each from their respective quotas, even as an aggressive Ambedkar reached Akola to file his nomination papers on Wednesday.
Patole further said that the MVA has finalised its seat-distribution for 46 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, barring two.
They are -- Bhiwandi, claimed by the NCP (SP) and Sangli coveted by SS (UBT), with the latter having announced its prospective nominee, irking the Congress.
Patole said that the MVA allies must adhere to the principles of alliance and urged the NCP (SP) and SS (UBT) to give up their claims on Bhiwandi and Sangli, as the Congress has strong candidates to take on the ruling MahaYuti alliance of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party.
He frowned at the unilateral announcement of SS (UBT) candidate for Sangli seat, terming it as "improper, and should not have happened without discussions with other allies" and considering the strengths or weaknesses of the potential candidates of all the MVA parties.
Patole reiterated that the it is the duty of the MVA and other like-minded parties to give a resounding defeat to the Bharatiya Janata Party and MahaYuti in order to save democracy and the Constitution.
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