Ending days of suspense, the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena (UBT), seeking to revive its dwindling fortunes in Maharashtra, will announce its alliance with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Monday, the party said Sunday. While NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he did not want to “get into the alliance issue”, Ambedkar said he has no problem with being in the same boat as the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). “The alliance between the Shiv Sena and the VBA will be a game-changer in Maharashtra politics. The announcement of the alliance will be made tomorrow (Monday),” Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut told The Indian Express. The alliance comes in the backdrop of the Shiv Sena's vertical split, with 40 MLAs and 13 MPs deserting the party and forming a new group under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Since then, the Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has been trying to resurrect itself and has found, according to the party, “an able ally” in the VBA, which had garnered considerable amount of votes and made its presence felt in several assembly seats across the state in 2019. The VBA was earlier in alliance with the AIMIM. Raut said discussions between the Shiv Sena (UBT) have been going on for some time now and the final decision has been taken. Ambedkar’s stance on Sunday was a far cry from earlier when he was seen to be wary of the NCP and the Congress which, together with the undivided Shiv Sena, had formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in 2019. “The Shiv Sena wants to take Congress and the NCP on board. It is an issue between them. We told the Shiv Sena that we will welcome both the Congress and the NCP.The Shiv Sena has to make the final announcement,” he said. Last month, however, he had said, “There is no other leader in Maharashtra who knows Sharad Pawar better than me.The NCP and the Congress will try to stop Uddhav Thackeray from forming an alliance with VBA.” Thackeray and Ambedkar will make the alliance announcement at a press conference in Mumbai on Monday, Raut said. Initially, the alliance is likely to be limited only to Mumbai civic body polls as was made clear by Ambedkar at a press conference last month. Sena insiders said it decided to move forward with Ambedkar after taking its own time to announce the alliance in the wake of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Balsahebanchi Shiv Sena’s recent overtures towards the VBA. Last week, Shinde held an over two-hour meeting with Ambedkar. However, Ambedkar said there can't be any alliance with Shinde faction till it snaps ties with BJP. In Baramati on Sunday, Sharad Pawar refused to field the question on the alliance taking place between the Shiv Sena and the VBA. “I don't want to get into this.only Ajit Pawar can answer that question,” Pawar told reporters. Notably, Pawar had recently stated that the NCP and the Congress had no problem with VBA joining MVA. “We welcome all those who want to fight against the BJP. Both the NCP and the Congress are positive about the alliance and have conveyed the same to Uddhav Thackeray,” he said. Said Raut: “We have not kept anything hidden. We have been open about our alliance talk with VBA. We have personally conveyed this to senior NCP and Congress leaders.” When asked about Pawar’s response to this, Raut said, “I have personally updated him about the alliance discussion and he too has been positive about it.” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the alliance will strengthen both the parties as well as the MVA. The BJP, however, termed the alliance as inappropriate. “The bitter relation between Congress and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is well known. The Congress had always opposed Babasaheb. Then how come Prakash Ambedkar is going with such a party?” asked BJP leader and former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
