Prakash Ambedkar, the president of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and a contender for the Akola Lok Sabha seat, has entered a triangular electoral fray in west Vidarbha. In a recent interview with the Indian Express, the VBA chief didn't mince words as he criticised the BJP's 'Ab ki bar 400 par' slogan and also took aim at the INDIA bloc, slamming the Congress and even Uddhav Thackeray, president of Shiv Sena (UBT), for allegedly diluting their stance against the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Ambedkar also confidently stated that the VBA's position seems to be the primary opposition party in Maharashtra.
Ambedkar Attacks Uddhav Thackeray
When questioned about his criticism towards Uddhav Thackeray despite his previous alliance with the Shiv Sena UBT chief, Ambedkar pointed out Thackeray's initial opposition to the BJP and the Shinde Sena, which he claims weakened over time, particularly against Eknath Shinde.
He also highlighted the perceived inadequacy of the candidate fielded against Shinde's son, citing the absence of stronger contenders. "Look at the weak candidate against Shinde’s son. There were so many strong candidates, but none of them were given the ticket," said Ambedkar while speaking to the Indian Express.
'VBA Is The Main Opposition Party In Maharashtra': Prakash Ambedkar
Further, when asked about him being so confident in the VBA's electoral prospects, Ambedkar attributed their strength to the creation of space for secular votes and their strategic support to Manoj Jarange-Patil. He expressed optimism about winning seats where both factions of Shiv Sena are in contention, suggesting that the VBA stands a better chance against the ruling alliance compared to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Hence the VBA chief affirmed his party's position as the main opposition party in Maharashtra.
The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has announced over 20 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Initially, the VBA had showed their support to the MVA, offering to contest elections together. However, things went wrong among the allies with the VBA alleging negligence from the alliance partners. Eventually, VBA decided to move out of the alliance further deciding to contest solo.
Maharashtra witnessed the first phase polling in five seats in the Vidarbha region. The elections in the remaining 43 seats will take place in four more phases ahead. The results for the 48-seat Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be announced with the nationwide results on June 4.
