Ambedkar factors fingers at Sanjay Raut for breakdown in parleys between MVA and VBA for LS elections
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar addresses a press convention. File.
| Photograph Credit score: ANI
After asserting that his Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) would haven’t any truck with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) within the Lok Sabha elections, VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar on March 29 singled out Sanjay Raut, spokesperson of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, as being answerable for the breakdown in parleys between the MVA and the VBA.
Talking in Mumbai, Mr. Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, focused Mr. Raut for spreading misinformation about seat-sharing throughout talks between the MVA and the VBA, whereas accusing the Sena (UBT) chief of “stabbing the VBA within the again”.
“Sanjay Raut, what number of lies will you inform?” Mr. Ambedkar mentioned, chatting with mediapersons and alleged that it was Mr. Raut who had not invited the VBA for seat-sharing conferences with the MVA (comprising of the Sena (UBT), the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Congress) companions.
“Sanjay Raut and the MVA are two completely different entities. Is it not true that you just [Mr. Raut] had raised the difficulty of fielding a candidate towards the VBA in Akola? On the one hand, he was creating this notion of forming an alliance with us, however on the opposite, he was plotting to undermine the VBA. He has stabbed us within the again,” alleged Mr. Ambedkar, who attacked Mr. Raut for falsely claiming earlier than the press that the alliance with the Sena (UBT) and the VBA was sturdy and the latter was very a lot part of the opposition MVA coalition.
Earlier, Mr. Ambedkar had shared a pointed image on X. On this, a hand carrying a knife and bearing the legend ‘Sanjay Raut’ is proven stabbing a person representing the VBA.
The VBA president’s stark and vocal criticism of Mr. Raut comes as a shock to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena camp on condition that Mr. Ambedkar had cast an alliance with Mr. Thackeray’s social gathering early final yr at a time when Mr. Thackeray’s different MVA companions – the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP – had been extraordinarily cautious of taking Mr. Ambedkar onboard the MVA bandwagon.
By means of all this, Mr. Raut, mockingly has remained one among Mr. Ambedkar’s staunchest supporters as expressed by his statements lauding the VBA chief within the media.
In the meantime, Mr. Raut gave a guarded response to the vitriol spewed on him by Mr. Ambedkar, remarking, “Our battle is towards these [meaning BJP] who’re stabbing democracy within the again. I’ve nothing to do with Mr. Ambedkar’s remarks. We [the MVA] had given him a proposal of 5 Lok Sabha seats. It’s now as much as him to resolve whether or not he needs to contest or not with us.”
He additional noticed that Mr. Ambedkar had been making accusations towards numerous events and leaders together with Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.
“Until yesterday, he was criticising different leaders within the MVA like Mr. Patole. Now, he’s censuring me. I don’t know what to say… However I nonetheless consider that Prakash Ambedkar is not going to facet with those that are stabbing the Structure within the again by assist them immediately or not directly,” mentioned Mr. Raut, in a pointed comment on the VBA chief.
He clarified that the MVA had invited Mr. Ambedkar and his social gathering to each assembly on seat-sharing discussions.
Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad immediately mentioned she hoped that Mr. Ambedkar would nonetheless contest the election together with the MVA.
Earlier this week, Mr. Ambedkar had introduced an alternate ‘coalition’ of the VBA and neighborhood outfits and leaders just like the OBC Mahasangh and Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil.
In that regard, former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief from Pune Vasant Extra met with Mr. Ambedkar in Mumbai on Friday, sparking hypothesis about his potential candidacy for the Pune Lok Sabha seat (the place the Congress has already introduced the candidacy of MLA Ravindra Dhangekar) within the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Following the assembly with Mr. Ambedkar, Mr. Extra termed the discussions as “optimistic” however didn’t affirm whether or not he would contest on a VBA ticket.
Mr. Ambedkar indicated that an official announcement relating to Mr. Extra’s candidacy could be made round March 31 or April 1.
