AKOLA: In a significant political development ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) broke its alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

"We respect and honour Prakash Ambedkar and wish him the best of luck. Irrespective of the alliance, we shall continue to take up the cause of the oppressed classes and weaker sections of society," AIMIM Aurangabad MP and senior leader Syed Imtiaz Jaleel told IANS.

He cited the primary reason for snapping of ties with VBA - which fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections jointly with AIMIM - as the "unjustified and unacceptable" share of seats to the AIMIM, as it only had eight out of 288 seats in the state Assembly.

The VBA, comprising the BBM and the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together. The VBA had won one seat in Maharashtra.