Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar delivered another blow to the MVA on Wednesday by announcing that the VBA would go it alone in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition is already facing issues over seat sharing.
Mr. Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, has announced an alternative ‘coalition’ of the VBA and community outfits and leaders like the OBC Mahasangh and Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil.
Alternative coalition
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Ambedkar said he had met and spoken at length with Mr. Jarange-Patil at the latter’s village Antarwali-Sarathi in Jalna district. Mr. Jarange-Patil has sought time until March 30 to deliberate with his supporters.
The VBA chief announced a first list of eight candidates for seats in the Vidarbha division that go to polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election. Mr. Ambedkar, a former three-term MP from Akola, will be his party’s candidate from that seat in this election.
Taking potshots at the MVA coalition, Mr. Ambedkar said that the MVA wished to use his party as “a tool” to protect dynastic politics.
“There are those who wanted the VBA to join them so they could use the VBA to save dynastic politics. We opposed that,” he said.
VBA to back Congress
However, careful not to be smeared with the label of the ‘BJP’s B-team’ for cannibalising secular votes that normally go to the Congress, the VBA has said it would support Congress’ candidate Vikas Thakre for the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat.
It has further said it would support the candidature of OBC leader Prakash Shendge for the Sangli Lok Sabha seat.
“I had a detailed discussion with Manoj Jarange-Patil. We will discuss the remaining seats after March 30. It has been decided that we will not be haggling for seats but will give tickets to candidates from economically-backward sections of society with a clean record…I know there will be a lot of talk over our decision, but I know the pulse of the people, they are eager for change,” Mr. Ambedkar said.
He further said that he had urged the MVA parties to take into account the “Jarange-Patil factor” while considering seat allocation.
“Unfortunately, this was not factored in. Our new alliance will provide representation to Muslim, OBCs, and the Jain communities,” Mr. Ambedkar said.
Parleys to induct the VBA into the MVA have been on for several weeks, with Mr. Ambedkar taking part in seat-sharing talks. Both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP-SP leadership have been insisting that the VBA was already a bone fide constituent of the MVA coalition – a statement refuted by Mr. Ambedkar.
Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the MVA was still eager for an alliance with Mr. Ambedkar.
Splitting votes
Maharashtra Leader of Opposition and senior Congressman Vijay Wadettiwar said that the VBA chief’s decision could indirectly help the ruling BJP by splitting opposition votes. He urged Mr. Ambedkar to reconsider.
Senior Congressman Balasaheb Thorat said: “It is our wish the VBA remains with us given that it is essential for all like-minded parties stay together to save democracy. We have sincerely tried to include Mr. Ambedkar within the MVA and hope he changes his decision.”
The VBA contesting the election alone could ruin the chances of MVA candidates, whose vote-base is similar to that of the VBA’s.
This scenario played out in the 2019 General Election, when the VBA, then in alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, caused the defeat of Congress candidates in at least nine Lok Sabha seats.
Mr. Ambedkar forged an alliance with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) early last year. However, that alliance has unravelled with Mr. Ambedkar’s decision.
