Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) announces alliance with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi for upcoming BMC polls

Mumbai: Days after the BJP and Balasahbanchi Shiv Sena expressed their resolve to assume power in the BMC, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi on Monday announced an alliance for the upcoming civic body election. It was coined as an alliance between Shivshakti and Bhimshakti.

Mr Thackeray said, “Today is Jan 23, the birth anniversary of Balasaheb Thackeray. I am satisfied and happy that several people of Maharashtra wanted us to come together. Prakash Ambedkar and I are here today to form an alliance.” He said his and Mr Ambedkar’s grandfathers were colleagues and fought against the social issues at that time. “Thackeray and Ambedkar have a history. Now their future generations are here to fight on the current issues of the country,” he said.

Mr Thackeray and Mr Ambedkar shared a stage last in Nov 2022 for the launch of prabodhankar.com, a website dedicated to late Bal Thackeray’s father Prabodhankar Thackeray.

Mr Thackeray, attacked the BJP at the Centre and the State, saying “We, the legatees, have come together to root out today’s political evils with the idea of Country First.”

Mr Ambedkar said the alliance marks the “beginning of new politics” in the country. “Whether we win on social issues or not is in the hands of voters, but giving such people a seat to contest is in the hands of the political parties,” he said.

Mr Ambedkar added, “As of now, it’s only the two of us. The Congress hasn’t accepted the alliance yet. I hope the NCP will also join the alliance.” Mr Thackeray, too, hoped that the VBA would be regarded as an MVA constituent in the near future.