Maharashtra: Uddhav’s Sena join ranks with Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA, ahead of Mumbai civic polls

New Delhi: Ending months of speculation & uncertainty over proposed alliance, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday announced his party’s coalition with Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA).

VBA is the party run by BR Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar. Ever since Uddhav being ousted from power, reports were abuzz that Uddhav-led Shiv Sena will join ranks with Amedkar-led VBA to challenge the BJP & Shinde-led Sena.

Addressing a press conference, Uddhav Thackeray announced that the two parties will have stitched alliance, giving clear hints about their combined fight in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

“We have come together to keep the Constitution intact,” Uddhav Thackeray said, sharing the dais with Prakash Ambedkar.

Uddhav also said that both parties have a legacy of attacking the evils of society.

VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar said that he was hopeful of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition partners Congress & NCP extending support to them. Hitting out at the centre, he said that BJP government is resorting to misuse of investigative agencies like ED & CBI for suppressing its political rivals.

Though dates for Mumbai civic polls have not been announced yet, the latest coalition shows Uddhav camp’s preparedness for taking on saffron alliance in BMC polls. Shiv Sena has been at the helm of BMC for more than 30 years now.

In the 2017 BMC polls, Shiv Sena fetched its lowest tally with just 84 seats while BJP marched closer to it with 82 seats in the 227-member civic body.

Eknath Shinde camp, now known as Balasahebbanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) maintains that it is the real party after Shiv Sena fragmented into two parts. As elections come closer, the acrimony & bitterness between the two Sena factions is going to get more sharper.