Mumbai: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar announced list of 37 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls on Friday. However, he did not disclose about his own candidature. Ambedkar is supposed to contest from Solapur of Akola constituency. Meanwhile, he mentioned caste of each candidate while making the list open.
The VBA has been jointly formed by Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi. However, the AIMIM has already announced that it will not contest the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
Speaking to reporters here, Ambedkar said he had not declared the candidates on 11 seats, which include Akola, Solapur, and Nagpur seats. “In the next four days, suspense over these seats would be over,” he said. Over the Aurangabad seat, he said that there should be no problem and that Owaisi should take a call whether he wants to contest on this seat or not.
“Whoever will contest from this seat, will be supported by Vanchit Aghadi,” he said. When asked if AIMIM’s Imtiyaz Jaleel would contest as an independent from Aurangabad, he said that this question should be asked to the AIMIM.
Ambedkar further said the candidates for Akola and Solapur will also be announced soon. The Dalit leader is expected to contest from at least one of these seats. A VBA insider disclosed that the party will extend support to Nana Patole of the Congress in Nagpur. “Patole and Ambedkar are good friends and hence, VBA will field candidate in Nagpur.”
