31 March,2024 09:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Prakash Ambedkar. File Photo
Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Sunday announced its second list consisting of 11 candidates who will be contesting the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The VBA had announced eight candidates on Wednesday in its first list, after the Ambedkar-led party decided to go solo after the talks with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state for the seat-sharing did not come to any conclusion.
The second VBA list consists of 11 candidates including Abdul Hasan Khan from Mumbai North Central, Dr BD Chavan from Hingoli, Rahul Gaikwad from Satara, Ramesh Baraskar from Mhada among others.
In its first list released on Wednesday, the VBA announced candidature of eight candidates, including Prakash Ambedkar himself contesting from Akola Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra's Vidharbha.
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Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had won twice from Akola in succession in the past and later suffered many successive losses, including the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The VBA's candidates have been chosen the candidates considering their respective caste influence in the constituencies but did not have representation in the parliament's lower house for many years. Ambedkar has mentioned their respective caste while naming his candidates.
Ambedkar justified the caste-based distribution. "OBCs and Nomadic Tribes have a little representation. To beat BJP-led polarisation, we will field Muslims, Jains, OBCs and Marathas," he added at a press conference in Akola while declaring first list.
After finally Prakash Ambedkar broke alliance with the MVA, which consists of Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT) after failure of talks on seat-sharing, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Friday claimed that if VBA does not join MVA, it indirectly benefits the BJP.
The former chief minister of Maharashtra, Chavan emphasised that the Congress vote would be divided if Ambedkar did not support the MVA. He stated that multiple conversations were held to include Ambedkar's party in the MVA alliance, to unite anti-BJP forces and assure victory in the polls.
While, Ambedkar accused Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut for backstabbing VBA after the talks of seat-sharing with MVA failed.
