Setting tough to fulfill conditions for the Congress, the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) said though it was ready to ally with India's grand old party, it would assume the role of a big brother in the relationship.
"Congress voters have shifted to the VBA. The situation in 2019 is different from that in 2009 and 2014 polls. We have the highest number of aspiring candidates who want to contest the upcoming state assembly elections," said Gopichand Padalkar, general secretary of the VBA, who had contested from the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency.
Padalkar, a former BJP leader, said the VBA would contest all 288 seats in an alliance with the Owaisi brothers-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). "Talks with the Congress have begun after they wrote to us… there are many in the Congress who favour ditching the NCP for an alliance with VBA," he claimed.
The VBA had earlier offered the Congress just 40 assembly seats. Padalkar said any alliance with the Congress would have the VBA as the big brother. He added that they would give political representation to social groups such as Dhangars, Vadars, Banjaras, and even youth from the dominant Maratha community, who feel left out of the electoral process.
The VBA, which fought in an alliance with the AIMIM, cornered around 41 lakh votes, could get one MP elected and is said to have contributed to the defeat of the Congress-NCP combine in another eight seats.
While the AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel trounced incumbent Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire from Aurangabad, the winning margin of Shiv Sena and BJP candidates was lesser than the votes polled by VBA candidates in around seven constituencies (Hatkanangale, Buldhana, Gadchiroli, Nanded, Parbhani, Sangli, and Solapur). Ambedkar, who contested from two constituencies, led Congress nominee Hidayat Patel in Akola — which was won by Sanjay Dhotre (BJP) — but lost from both.
Some opposition candidates who were hurt by the presence of the VBA included former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde (Nanded and Solapur). The presence of AIMIM candidates in the fray is said to have polarised voters in favour of the BJP and Shiv Sena.
VBA OVER NCP?
Gopichand Padalkar, a former BJP leader, said the VBA would contest all 288 seats in an alliance with the AIMIM. “Talks with the Congress have begun after they wrote to us… there are many in the Congress who favour ditching the NCP for VBA,” he claimed
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