Our political front is a revolt against power structure: Prakash Ambedkar

Prakash Ambedkar, leader of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, says he is confident of defeating BJP and Congress in Maharashtra's Solapur Lok Sabha seat by speaking for small castes.

On the campaign trail in Solapur, Prakash Ambedkar speaks to Abhishek Waghmare about the genesis of his front, and the objectives it aims to achieve. Edited excerpts:

It is being said that the political contest in Solapur would be neck-and-neck, especially after your entry in the fray. How would you describe your new political experiment?  

I led first such a political front in 1995. But at that time, the Congress, Shiv Sena and the BJP came together to defeat us. But looking at how voters are treating them today, this time we are safe. 

Do you consider it safe because of the addition of Muslim voters, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, to the fold of Scheduled Castes and backward castes led by you? 

This is an incorrect representation of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi made popular by the mostly savarna (upper caste) political observers. Our front is a political revolution started with the agitations led by the Dhangar community (herders) and nomadic tribes (vimukta jaati), later supported by the Ambedkarite movement. Later, the AIMIM too joined us. We thus represent all those who were left out of the power structure by mainstream political parties.  

The upper caste leaders are unable to digest that a major chunk among the Hindus have called for a rebellion against the political parties advocating varnawaad, or upper caste supremacy. 

Would you then draw any parallels between your political front and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)? 

The BSP always played the frontline card of the hegemony of the upper castes, but they never challenged it. They saw to it that it continues. Therefore, even if the BSP was a success, they could not do anything concrete at the ground level. 

Our political front is a social revolt against the manuwadis (followers of the varna system) by the humanist Hindus.

Do you think that there is anti-incumbency against the ruling BJP in the state? Has the Opposition capitalised on it?

Yes, there is anti-incumbency. But neither the Congress nor the NCP would even be able to capitalise on it, simply because they are virtually a part of the government. The BJP has accused all their leaders but has not yet put them behind bars, with the exception of Chhagan Bhujbal. Alternatively, it can be said that this government is made up of turncoats from families of the erstwhile Congress fold. So they will simply not capitalise. 

As an opponent to the BJP, do you think that the allegations relating to the Rafale deal will help your cause, or is managing the caste arithmetic the only way to deal with the BJP?

You see… the Congress did not raise the corruption allegations originally. Rahul Gandhi picks it up mid-way and creates a narrative out of it. People are not dumb to not understand this farce. They have now understood that the essential character of the Congress and the BJP are one and the same. They were looking for an alternative, and we have provided it. 

The progressive movement in Maharashtra has been in existence for a long time, and has lent its image to the political rhetoric in recent times as well. Do you still think that people will vote along the lines of caste in the state? 

People do not vote en bloc, but across political parties in the state. While this characteristic will not change even this time, I am confident that we will be the biggest beneficiaries of this facet this time, due to the sense of representation we have given them all. 

It is said that the backward caste voter traditionally supports the Congress in elections, which was dented by the BJP to some extent in 2014. Now that you have entered the fray, what do you think will happen? 

Congress has become a party only of the Marathas. Scheduled Castes have deserted them, Muslims have made a resolve that they will stand with those who will help topple the BJP. Muslims and Dalits will hardly vote for the Congress now. After our entry, they, along with OBCs and nomadic tribes, have got access to the political space.

Employment is the biggest challenge of current times. Apart from political representation, which you profess, what assurances have you given the electorate on the economy front? 

The IT industry can barely add new jobs in India now. We have to think of sectors such as agro-processing. We have promised that we will help introduce technologies that will improve quality, but still not replace labour. We will come up with a new banking system that would assure finance to those who do not own land or property, or those who have nothing to mortgage. 

Being a new entrant in the poll fray, which key seats are you focusing in the current general election?

All the 48 seats in the state. Congress doesn’t stand a chance. Even if you ask the BJP, they will admit that their fight is against the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, and not the Congress or the NCP.