Maharashtra elections: Ex-minister Anees Ahmad joins VBA, to contest from Nagpur Central seat in polls

Prakash Ambedkar and Anees Ahmed. Pic/X

Former minister and Congress leader Anees Ahmad joined the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in Mumbai on Monday and the party announced his candidature from the Nagpur Central constituency in Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, reported the PTI.

Anees Ahmad was inducted into the fold in the presence of party chief Prakash Ambedkar.

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"I represented the Nagpur Central assembly seat for 15 years. I noticed that the Congress sold some tickets in the Vidarbha region with almost no representation to communities such as Muslims, Telis and Dalits. I decided to leave Congress because it failed to undertake social engineering," Anees Ahmad said, as per the PTI.

Speaking on the occasion, Prakash Ambedkar said, "In the Vidarbha region, the Congress has given tickets mostly to Kunbis and ignored other communities."

Maharashtra polls: Raut warns Congress about fielding candidate for Solapur South seat

Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday warned Congress about fielding a candidate for the Solapur South assembly seat, for which his party has already announced a nominee, reported the PTI.

Speaking to reporters, Sanjay Raut said such actions could provoke a similar response from their side and create "problems" for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

"The Congress, in its new list, has announced its candidate (Dilip Mane) from the Solapur South constituency. This has happened when we have already fielded our candidate (Amar Patil) from the same seat. I consider it a typing mistake by the Congress. Such a mistake could happen from our side as well," he said, according to the PTI.
"I have heard that local Congress leaders are eager to contest the Miraj assembly constituency, which is part of our seat-sharing formula. If this infection (of fielding candidates against allies) spreads across the state, it will create problems for the MVA," Sanjay Raut said, as per the PTI.

The Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) are part of the opposition MVA, which is challenging the ruling Mahayuti.

When asked about the Congress being keen on contesting more seats in Mumbai, Raut said, "The party is asking for one more seat in Mumbai. Traditionally, the Shiv Sena has been contesting more seats in Mumbai. The party is needed in Mumbai, the way Congress in Vidarbha region."

Congress state president Nana Patole said the party high command had decided to contest the Solapur South seat in Maharashtra Assembly election 2024.

(with PTI inputs)