Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections: NGO Nirbhay Bano Offers Mediation Amid Maha Vikas Aghadi-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi Seat-Sharing Imbroglio

Amid concerns and confusion over the seat-sharing imbroglio hitting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), a civil society group has offered to"mediate" between the two warring groups, on behalf of the people of the state, an official said here on Saturday.

The NGO, 'Nirbhay Bano' (Be Fearless) has written an open letter to the VBA president Prakash Ambedkar soliciting his cooperation in the interest of saving democracy and protecting the Constitution in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Nirbhay Bano's leaders Aseem Sarode, Vishwambhar Chaudhary and Utpal VB appealed that the VBA's stature has grown in the past five years and given rise to public expectations of a change in the country.

Earlier, VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar had hint-ed at forming a third front against the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance after a breakdown in seat-sharing talks with the MVA.

It urged the VBA to submit a clear list of all the Lok Sabha candidates it wants to contest and Nirbhay Bano would take it up with the MVA allies – Congress-NCP (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT). “We hope that all the senior leaders in these parties shall sit together, discuss things in the interest of the country and party keeping aside personal issues, to ensure that peoples' expectations are not belied,” said Sarode.

None of the parties have so far responded to the Nirbhay Bano's overtures, but they are confident of working out anamicable solution ahead of the five-phased LS polling in the state, and the first phase polling on April 19.