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Published 15:12 IST, September 10th 2019

Maharashtra Elections: VBA to contest state polls without Congress

Prakash Ambedkar has clarified that Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) will be contesting the forthcoming Maharashtra Elections without an alliance with Congress

Reported by: Misha Bhatt
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Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has confirmed that his party will not form an alliance with Congress in the upcoming Maharashtra elections which are due in October-November this year. As per the VBA Maharashtra leader, even though the party had reached out to Congress for forging an alliance for the forthcoming state polls, they have not received any response from Congress. The leader addressed a press conference and asserted that all the doors for a discussion have now closed. The VBA demanded an equal seat-sharing pact with Congress for the state polls. 

READ | Why Prakash Ambedkar becomes so important for Congress in Maharashtra?

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Prakash Ambedkar said, " We had our meeting 2 days back and the issue was discussed at length. One of our senior leader also approached Congress with a proposal to contest on equal seats. However, there is no response."

READ | Sanjay Dutt to re-enter politics ahead of Maharashtra elections

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VBA-Congress pact not happening

Attacking Congress, Prakash Ambedkar further added, "Congress has no interest in defeating BJP or Shiv Sena and only wants to save its skin and not to land in jail. We will not go with the Congress and will contest on 287 seats on own."

READ | WATCH: Prakash Ambedkar accuses BJP of propelling 'terrorism in politics'; says "RSS is a terror organisation"

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In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the VBA was in an alliance with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). However, the alliance was called off last Friday saying that both the parties couldn't reach a 'comfortable figure' of seat-distribution. As claimed, Prakash Ambedkar's VBA even had approached the then Rahul Gandhi-led Indian National Congress for an alliance before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls for which the party did not receive a note back from the Congress.

READ | “No Response From Congress On Alliance, So We Joined Hands With AIMIM”, Says Prakash Ambedkar

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Sena-BJP alliance announcement in next 2 days: Uddhav Thackeray 

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won 185 seats, with BJP winning 124 and Shiv Sena winning 61 in the last Maharashtra elections. Shiv-Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said that Sena's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming Maharashtra elections will be announced in the next two days. 

READ | Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray will contest 2019 Maharashtra elections

These developments come days before when the Election Commission is expected to announce the poll dates for the state. 

 

13:27 IST, September 9th 2019