The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (UBT), on Tuesday, announced the inclusion of Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections.
The VBA, led by Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of B R Ambedkar, holds influence in specific districts, including the Vidarbha region.
In an X post, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said: "The Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena have unanimously decided to induct VBA as a political ally. We are thankful for your stand to fight against autocracy".
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut tweeted about the VBA's inclusion, stating that Prakash Ambedkar would participate in the MVA's upcoming meeting on February 2.
Amidst speculation over seat-sharing for the upcoming elections, Sanjay Raut had previously confirmed the invitation extended to VBA for a meeting with MVA constituents in Mumbai. Prakash Ambedkar had urged Shiv Sena (UBT) to consider an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections if seat-sharing discussions within the opposition MVA remained inconclusive.
Earlier this month, Ambedkar proposed a seat-sharing arrangement, suggesting that Shiv Sena (UBT) and VBA could contest 24 seats each out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
NCP president Sharad Pawar had mentioned ongoing discussions with Left parties and Prakash Ambedkar's VBA for a coalition in the upcoming polls.
Highlighting Prakash Ambedkar's stand against dictatorial policies and disrespect to the Constitution, Raut assured that VBA's alignment with MVA is based on shared principles. He emphasized that VBA would not take any stance supporting BJP directly or indirectly.
The MVA had previously invited VBA to join the opposition alliance in Maharashtra, initiating discussions on seat-sharing. A letter signed by Nana Patole, Jayant Patil, and Sanjay Raut was sent to Ambedkar, urging senior VBA leaders to participate in the talks.