MUMBAI:Rattling the Opposition, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar has virtually snapped ties with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and named 8 out of 9 Lok Sabha candidates, while forming a new front with the Maratha community with the Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil, here on Wednesday.
Simultaneously, Ambedkar said that the VBA will support certain candidates of the Congress in the state, offering some solace to the MVA.
The VBA’s candidates are: Prakash Y. Ambedkar (Akola), Sanjay G. Kewat (Bhandara-Gondiya LS seat), Hitesh P. Madavi (Gadchiroli-Chimur), Rajesh W. Belle (Chandrapur), Vasant R. Magar (Buldhana), Prajakta T. Pillewan (Amravati), Prof. Rajendra Salunke (Wardha), Khemsing P. Pawar (Yavatmal-Washim), and the nominee for Ramtek shall be announced on late Wednesday.
Ambedkar said the VBA will support Congress candidate Vikas Thakre from the Nagpur constituency to take on Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and the OBC Bahujan Party candidate in Sangli.
The VBA Chief added that he had a detailed negotiation with Jarange-Patil on Tuesday and it was decided to nominate OBC and Muslim candidates who are not being given any nominations by other major parties.
Flanked by top VBA leaders like state President Rekha Thakur, Vice-President Siddharth Mokale, D. Pundkar, Farooq Ahmed, Arundhati Sirsat, Ashok Sonone and others, Ambedkar said that a new front with Jarange-Patil will be formed “to initiate the politics of transformation”, with maximum candidates from the poor and backward communities, having a clean image.
The new front will declare its full ‘inclusive’ list of Lok Sabha candidates on April 2, from the poor, marginalised, underprivileged Marathas and Muslims, who will be supported by the masses.
The VBA’s announcement came amid appeals by the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and an offer of around 4-6 seats to stand with the MVA.