Former AG Aney's pro-Vidarbha party to contest civic polls

Former Maharashtra Advocate General Shrihari Aney today said his outfit, Vidarbha Rajya Party (ViRA), would contest the upcoming municipal council elections in Wardha, Gondia, Hinganghat, Arvi and Sakoli.
He also announced the names of the candidates. These civic elections would be contested on the plank of demand for separate Vidarbha, he said.
Aney was forced to resign as the Advocate General of Maharashtra after he publicly supported the demand of separate statehood for Vidarbha and Marathwada in March. Subsequently, he set up Vidarbha Rajya Party to push the demand.
Recently, he met leaders of smaller parties including BSP, Trinamool Congress and AAP to lobby for separate Vidarbha in New Delhi.

Aney said separate state could be achieved only if the movement for it became a political force.
His party was not averse to entering into tie-ups or seat distribution arrangement with like-minded parties or pro- Vidarbha organisations, he said.
Ruling BJP and opposition Congress had betrayed the people of Vidarbha, he said, adding that supporters for separate Vidarbha, from any party, would be welcome to join ViRA.