Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA joins MVA, INDIA bloc

After the meeting, Raut said talks over the seat sharing took place in a positive manner and the seat sharing formula will be decided upon later.

“As you can seen we all have came out of the meeting… We all sat down to discuss seat-sharing… I want to assure everyone that we will fight elections together. We have no differences about seat sharing…We discussed each seat in detail,” Raut said in Delhi.

“We had a detailed discussion about including VBA and Prakash Ambedkar in opposition bloc, following which all partners of MVA and INDIA have agreed to include the VBA in the MVA and INDIA,” Raut said. He added that the number of seats to be shared with VBA will be decided later on.

Earlier in the day, Raut had said that Sena UBT had staked claim on 23 seats since the party has been contesting on 23 seats for “several decades”. “We (Sena UBT) have been contesting from 23 seats for the last several decades and hence we have staked claim on 23 seats. It is a fact that we have won 18 seats in the 2019 elections. But there is no fight for seat sharing in Maharashtra… There can be some differences on 2-3 seats but we will have a discussion over it,” Raut said. He also stressed that the MVA partners will fight together against the dictatorial regime in the country and will win maximum seats.

“We will get 23 seats from the state which includes seats from Mumbai and Thane. If there are any differences, we will sit and discuss. Our senior leaders, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi will meet and decide if there are any issues. I don’t see any clashes here. This is our fight against the dictatorship going on in the country. Under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, we have selected 23 seats after testing our base in 48 constituencies. You will see a new candidate for the post of Prime Minister in 2024,” Raut said.

Earlier in the day, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said Prakash Ambedkar led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi should be a part of the MVA. “In these primary talks, Jitendra Awhad will represent us in Delhi. It is our opinion that in these elections, us, Congress, Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and left parties should be together and we will present this position in the meeting,” said Pawar. This was the first time that the NCP voiced favour to include the VBA in the MVA for the general elections. Till now VBA was an ally of the Shiv Sena UBT.

Commenting on a range of issues, including his criticism by estranged nephew and the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sharad wondered whether Ajit was unaware of his announcement, that he would not accept any parliamentary position after the completion of his present tenure in Rajya Sabha.

“I have two and half years left as Rajya Sabha MP. I have been in legislative life for over 50 years. I have already said that I will not accept any position after this,” he said.

Ajit Pawar in his public rally at Kalyan on Sunday had questioned whether one should stop working after turning 84 or not? The NCP chief responded by saying that those who have quit the party will not be taken back.

Pawar also slammed Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar over him going to meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at a time when Narwekar was hearing the case involving disqualification of Shinde and other MLAs.

“The prestige of the chair of the assembly speaker would not have been damaged had Narvekar avoided meeting CM Shinde against whom disqualification case is ongoing,” he said.