In May this year, Republican Sena president Anandraj Ambedkar said he was willing to set aside his differences with his elder brother and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar, saying “If Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray could come together, why can’t the Ambedkar family unite.”
Two months down the line, Anandraj and Prakash, grandsons of B R Ambedkar, are caught in a verbal duel with any possibility of their reconciliation petering out now. This was apparently triggered by Anandraj’s decision last week to join hands with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde for the local body elections slated for later this year.
The Shinde Sena is a key constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti government in the state.
Following Anandraj’s move, Prakash asked the VBA activists and supporters to counter Dalit outfits which have aligned with the BJP/RSS, openly or tacitly, while using B R Ambedkar’s name.
Raising objection to Anandraj’s dismissal of any “threat” to the Constitution under the ruling BJP-led NDA, Prakash has alleged that the Republican Sena has “compromised” its ideology by tying up with the Shinde Sena. “The Republican Sena’s alliance with the Shiv Sena not only undercuts the fight against BJP and its allies to save Constitution but is also against the ideology of Phule-Shahu- Ambedkar,” the VBA chief claimed.
“It is now up to followers of Phule, Shahu and Ambedkar whether they want to stand with a puppet of BJP/RSS whose ideology is to replace the Constitution with Manusmriti, or to stand with someone whose ideology is to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Prakash said.
Hitting back, Anandraj said, “Republican Sena has forged an alliance with Shiv Sena on a common agenda of welfare of oppressed and backward classes. We have not joined BJP/ RSS. So where is the question of compromising our ideology. We are committed to Ambedkar’s teaching and principles.”
The rising tension between Prakash and Anandraj seems to have derailed the possibility of their reunion.
A senior VBA leader close to the Ambedkar family said, “The Dalit leaders championing the cause of social justice and welfare of oppressed have failed to unite and work as a team. Unfortunately, everyone wants to become a leader. And it becomes easier for established parties in both the ruling and Opposition camps to exploit this weakness to their advantage.”
RPI splinter outfits
The Republican Party of India (RPI) was founded by B R Ambedkar in September 1956, which evolved after the dissolution of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation.
Over the decades the RPI disintegrated into several breakaway outfits, including the RPI (A) led by Union minister Ramdas Athawale, RPI (Gawai), RPI (Kawade) and RPI (Khobragade).
There had been attempts in the late 1990s to unite various RPI factions. Coming on a common platform, they fought the 1998 Lok Sabha elections together in alliance with the Congress, getting four seats won by Prakash Ambedkar, Ramdas Athawale, Ramakrishna Gawai and Jogendra Kawade. Their joint RPI front however unravelled after some time. In 2009, their another attempt for unity failed.
Ambedkar grandsons
Since his student days, Prakash Ambedkar had been part of the RPI. In 1994, he left the party to form his outfit Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, which evolved into the VBA in 2018.
Anandraj broke away from the RPI to float the Republican Sena in 1998. Although based on Ambedkar’s philosophy like other RPI factions, the Republican Sena has a limited presence in the state. It is known for having a base among Dalits and marginalised, especially in pockets of Mumbai and some places in the Vidarbha region.
In contrast, Prakash has been rooted in state politics for several decades, and has a wider acceptance and larger socio-political network across the regions.
In November 2022, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with Prakash Ambedkar, asserting that they came together to save the Constitution and democracy, which had been facing a “threat”, they alleged, from the BJP dispensation.
An ally of the Opposition Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA), Uddhav’s alliance with Prakash however fell through ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The VBA contested in these polls alone, failing to open its account.
A Shinde Sena insider said, “Shinde earlier tried to join hands with Prakash Ambedkar. He wanted VBA to become an ally of the Mahayuti in 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. However, Prakash preferred to go solo in these polls.”
Besides his critics, even a section of Dalits believe that Prakash has not been able to lead the community effectively. Even in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the VBA, contesting alone, had drawn a blank, although it was said to have hurt the prospects of the then Opposition Congress-NCP coalition in several seats by causing a division of “secular votes” between them.
Shinde, Anandraj alliance
The Shinde Sena has allied with the Republican Sena with a view to boosting its prospects in the upcoming local body elections, especially the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. It indicated Shinde’s bid to expand the Sena’s support base beyond Marathis to include Dalits.
For his part, Anandraj is looking to find his feet in state politics through this alliance in the local body polls. He said, “The alliance is for the welfare of oppressed segments. It would also provide a platform to them to participate in power.”
Rejecting the VBA’s charge that Anandraj “buckled under Shinde’s power play”, a Republican Sena insider pointed out how Prakash had himself tried to form an alliance with Uddhav ahead of the 2024 polls.
Anandraj (left) and Prakash, grandsons of B R Ambedkar, are caught in a verbal duel with any possibility of their reconciliation petering out now. 
Share
