Maharashtra: 'Ready to fight 46 Lok Sabha seats alone, if alliance with MVA does not work out,' says Prakash Ambedkar

Prakash Ambedkar. File Photo/PTI

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Friday expressed confidence that his party is ready to field 46 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and can independently win at least six Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra if its alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) does not work out.

Ambedkar also said that MVA's two constituents Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are currently engaged in a tussle over seat-sharing.

Recently, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, MP Sanjay Raut said members of the MVA have agreed on a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections and the alliance will make the announcement soon. He also said that NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress president Nana Patole and Prakash Ambedkar will meet to give final approval to the deal.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest in the country, after Uttar Pradesh which has 48 seats. Ambedkar-led VBA is trying to become a part of the MVA and eyeing to fight the upcoming elections with its three constituents.

Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Ambedkar said, "Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress have a tussle over seat sharing and we (VBA) are still outsiders. Our discussion will begin once they sort out their own issue. However, the VBA can independently win at least six Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and is ready to field its candidate on 46 Lok Sabha seats if the alliance does not work out."

He was replying to a query on the status of seat-sharing talks with the MVA. Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over its economic policies, he said the country was on the brink of economic collapse, while remarking over Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, Ambedkar said, 'it is easy win if fought well.'

In a recent interaction with the media, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut denied reports that VBA had demanded 27 Lok Sabha seats in the state. "They have given a list of seats where they have been working for many years. We will discuss it," he said.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP had won 23 Lok Sabha seats in the state, its alliance partner Shiv Sena (which was then undivided) had won 18 seats, undivided NCP had won four while Congress and AIMIM had won a seat each. An independent candidate had won one seat.

(With PTI inputs)