The president of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), Prakash Ambedkar, pledged support to the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate in Baramati, Supriya Sule, on Wednesday. In Baramati, the stage is thus set for a straight fight between Sule, the daughter of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, and Sunetra Pawar of the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Sunetra is the wife of Sule's cousin Ajit.
"We no longer have any alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi. They are still caught up in an ugly fight amongst themselves. The VBA has decided to contest alone. But in a select few seats, we will support the Congress and NCP (SP)," Ambedkar said. Ambedkar had also offered to support Congress candidates in seven key Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.But the party's top leadership did not respond to his proposal.
Three-term MP Sule has for the first time found her-self contesting the elections against a family member. What has compounded the crisis is the battle between two NCP factions in the family turf of Baramati.
