Mumbai, Jan 25 (PTI) The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday invited Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) to be a part of the opposition alliance in Maharashtra and join it for a discussion on seat-sharing.
A letter signed by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Jayant Patil of the NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was sent to Ambedkar, requesting him to depute senior leaders from the VBA to join the seat-sharing talks.
The letter claimed the “country is passing through tough times and a voice against dictatorship is being raised.” There is a need to protect the Constitution and the country, it said.
The letter also said the MVA allies were meeting today to discuss seat-sharing and invited the VBA for the talks.
“We wish that VBA should be a part of the alliance talks,” said the letter addressed to Ambedkar.
The Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls are due this year.
NCP president Sharad Pawar last week urged like-minded opposition parties, which have come together to provide an alternative to the BJP-led NDA, not to rest till the incumbent government at the Centre is defeated.
He said the MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress, is talking to the Left parties and Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA to stitch up an alliance for the upcoming polls.
Earlier this month, Ambedkar appealed to the Shiv Sena (UBT) to ally with the VBA for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra if the MVA members fail to finalise a seat-sharing formula.
Ambedkar said the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the VBA can contest 24 seats each (out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state) in the upcoming general polls. PTI MR GK
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