Cracks in MVA: Congress, Uddhav Sena spar over candidates in Maharashtra

Prakash Ambedkar's VBA announces 8 candidates, hints at exiting alliance

The Shiv Sena (UBT), a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), on Wednesday released its first list of 17 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, and said it will contest a total of 22 seats in the state.

It nominated former Union ministers Anant Geete and Arvind Sawant from Raigad and South Mumbai constituencies, respectively. It re-nominated all five sitting Lok Sabha MPs, who stayed with party chief Uddhav Thackeray, following the outfit’s split in 2022. These lawmakers are Arvind Sawant (South Mumbai), Rajan Vichare (Thane), Vinayak Raut (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg), Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani).

Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the announcement was not right.

“Everyone must follow coalition dharma. Shiv Sena (UBT) must reconsider its decision,” Thorat said.

He said the Congress is still firm on contesting from Sangli, Bhiwandi and Mumbai South Central. “Unfortunately, coalition dharma hasn’t been followed,” he said. Congress has been demanding three of the six seats in Mumbai – North West, North Central, and South Central.

However, his party colleague Sanjay Nirupam adopted a more belligerent stand, attacking their leadership for letting the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit grab most of the seats in Mumbai.

On the other hand, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Wednesday announced eight Lok Sabha candidates in the state, signalling the outfit is no longer pursuing an alliance with the MVA.

Addressing a press conference in Akola, he accused MVA allies - Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) - of trying to use his outfit to promote dynastic politics, which he asserted, his party is trying to resist.

Ambedkar said "those who were eager to have a pact" with his party, a reference to the MVA, failed to take into account the factor of Manoj Jarange, a quota activist who mobilised thousands for his rallies to demand reservation for the Maratha community.

Jarange has announced support to VBA candidates in the first phase, he said. The two met in the wee hours of Wednesday at Antarwali Sarati village where Jarange resides.