Maha Vikas Aghadi: Prakash Ambedkar says Sena (UBT) refused written undertaking on not forming post-poll alliance with BJP

In a damaging claim, Prakash Ambedkar who heads the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has raised questions on the credibility of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance saying that the parties in the opposition alliance especially the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction of the Sena were not willing to give it in writing that they would not join hands with the BJP after the Lok Sabha results.

Ambedkar revealed this in a letter to Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar, leader Jitendra Awhad which he posted on ‘X’ social media. According to Ambedkar during the meeting of the Maharashtra opposition leaders, he had suggested that to increase confidence among the voters, a written undertaking should be given to the voters by all the leaders of the opposition alliance that they would not join the BJP in a post poll scenario.

Ambedkar wrote, “Your party representative was silent when I had suggested that we give a written undertaking to the voter that after the elections there would be no understanding with the BJP/RSS.”

He added that while Awhad, who was present in the meeting and had said that there was no harm in writing this, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction flatly refused to give this assurance in writing.

Ambedkar’s claim is going to raise a lot of questions on the credibility of the opposition alliance as he has directly hinted at the possibility of some of the opposition parties in Maharashtra joining the BJP in a coalition.

Significantly Ambedkar publicly posting the contents of the letter is also meant to stemy the criticism that the VBA was not serious in joining a mega opposition alliance and was dragging its feet. Ambedkar through this letter is showing that the MVA alliance and not him is not serious in fighting the BJP in the state. The VBA leader in another post has alluded to it by saying that there is no point in asking how many seats they would contest because the Congress and UBT and the NCP Sharad Pawar faction were engaged in a tussle for 15 seats. According to Ambedkar once these parties agree on a seat sharing deal then the VBA would have discussions with them on seat sharing. The MVA is courting Ambedkar’s VBA as the latter holds sway among the Dalit community votes. The VBA in the 2019 parliamentary and Maharashtra assembly polls had eaten into the votes of the Congress and NCP which indirectly helped BJP candidates win.