Maharashtra: Prakash Ambedkar won’t stop assailing NCP chief Sharad Pawar

The pact between the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and the Shiv Sena (UBT) has created ripples in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Even before the three principal partners, including the NCP and the Congress, could decide on making VBA the coalition's fourth arm, its chief Prakash Ambedkar accused Sharad Pawar of always being with the BJP.

With his remark against Pawar on Wednesday, Ambedkar not only upset the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), but also some prominent leaders in the Thackeray Sena. Both Pawar and Ambedkar have been critical of one another for years, but the latter has become more vocal about his view against the former since joining hands with Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray's close aide and Sena MP Sanjay Raut advised Ambedkar against making such unwarranted statements about Pawar. However, Ambedkar snubbed Raut and said on Friday that he would stop talking about Pawar only if Thackeray himself asks him to do so. NCP's former minister Jitendra Awhad said they won't tolerate Ambedkar's remarks.

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VBA and Sena (UBT) declared a pre-poll alliance earlier this week, but neither the NCP nor the Congress seem willing to accept it. One of the reasons being that Ambedkar has caused them electoral losses in the past. The unified Congress had allied with all factions of the Republican Party of India, sweeping the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra many years ago. Among others, Ambedkar was also a winner then. Later, the RPI factions and the Congress parted ways, some Republicans joined the NCP, some allied with the Congress after Pawar formed his own party. Some joined the Sena (united) and later went with the BJP.

Ambedkar's pact with Thackeray is being keenly watched for its effectiveness and longevity ahead of the BMC polls and major elections scheduled next year. The NCP is reported to have conveyed to Thackeray that it won't share seats with the VBA, while state Congress chief Nana Patole said there was no proposal to induct VBA in the MVA. "It is between Thackeray and Ambedkar. We have nothing to do with it," he said on Friday. Ambedkar said he can only hope for an expansion of the alliance, because the decision rested on other parties and not him.