08 January,2024 05:35 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Prakash Ambedkar. Pic/ X
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Monday appealed to Shiv Sena (UBT) to ally with the VBA for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024 in Maharashtra if Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) members fail to finalise a seat-sharing formula, reported the PTI.
Prakash Ambedkar said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the VBA can contest 24 seats each in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024.
"The Maha Vikas Aghadi should come up with a seat-sharing formula (for LS polls) now. The Shiv Sena (UBT) should reveal the number of seats it would contest in alliance with Congress and NCP," Prakash Ambedkar told reporters after deposing before the Koregaon Bhima Commission probing the alleged caste violence of January 1, 2018, as per the PTI.
"The VBA has already clarified that if sharing of seats doesn't work out among the MVA constituents, they (Shiv Sena-UBT) can ally with us (VBA) and we can contest 24 seats each (in Lok Sabha elections)," the VBA chief said.
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Interstingly, even though an official announcement on whether the VBA is a part of the opposition I-N-D-I-A bloc is awaited, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said the Ambedkar-led Aghadi is "very much part" of the opposition alliance in Maharashtra to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.
Prakash Ambedkar also claimed that the information regarding advance inputs received by the police and district administration about the January 1, 2018 violence during the bicentennial anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle was not placed before the inquiry panel, the news agency reported on Monday.
"I have requested the commission to collect this information during my deposition today. The deposition of Devendra Fadnavis, the then chief minister and home minister, is paramount in the inquiry," he said, according to the PTI.
Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar is expected to give the order on the disqualification of MLAs from Shiv Sena factions led by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray on January 10.
Queried on this, Prakash Ambedkar said that the Speaker does not come under the purview of the Supreme Court.
"I accept that Narwekar should deliver a decision on this matter, but the assembly speaker doesn't come under the purview of the Supreme Court," he said.
Ambedkar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should provide Rs 1,000 in aid to the poor people to allow them to celebrate "Diwali" on January 22 to mark the consecration of Lord Ram's temple in Ayodhya.
(with PTI inputs)
