Maha Vikas Aghadi inducts Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections

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The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance on Tuesday announced the induction of Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in its fold ahead of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT) are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

"The Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena have unanimously decided to induct VBA as a political ally. We are thankful for your stand to fight against autocracy," Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole posted on X.

The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Dalit leader Ambedkar, grandson of B R Ambedkar, has pockets of influence in some districts, including the Vidarbha region.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra unit of the Janata Dal (United) will continue to be a part of the opposition's INDIA bloc, a state leader said on Tuesday.

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday took oath as chief minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the INDIA grouping and forming a new government with the BJP which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.

Party general secretary and Member of Legislative Council Kapil Patil said that the state JD(U) will continue its link with the INDIA alliance, newswire PTI reported. "We have communicated our decision to our top leadership," he told reporters.

"The political arithmetic of Maharashtra is different from that of Bihar. The situation is different here. We wish to continue our alliance with the INDIA bloc. We have asked for the Lok Sabha seat of Buldhana (during seat-sharing talks)," Patil said.

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule while responding to a query on the opposition unity, expressed hope that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will remain in the INDIA alliance "as her decision to go solo in West Bengal in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections is state-centric".

Sule claimed the decision taken by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to join the NDA fold seems to be guided by personal reasons. "Unlike the pre-2014 period, the BJP has become the most corrupt political party in the last ten years. The party seems to have lost its moral compass," she alleged.

Queried on seat-sharing talks and the role of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar, Sule said, "Ambedkar is an important leader and his views will be taken note of. He can help and guide us even at the national level".