Deprived, downtrodden to usher new dawn in Maha politics: Prakash Ambedkar

Mumbai, Aug 28 (IANS) The social-political alliance of downtrodden sections like Dalits, Tribals, OBCs, etc., shall ring in a fresh political change in Maharashtra in the upcoming state Assembly elections, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar said here on Wednesday.

While targeting the ruling MahaYuti of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT), Ambedkar said that "a change in Maharashtra is imminent" in the state polls likely in a couple of months.

"Both the Congress and BJP have ghetto-ised the SCs/STs into reserved constituencies only. We shall change that and put up ST candidates from even for the open category seats," declared Ambedkar, the grandson of the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution, B.R. Ambedkar.

The ex-two-term Lok Sabha MP from Akola and one-term Rajya Sabha MP's statement came amid tough seat negotiations between the MahaYuti and MVA alliances, with the VBA hoping to forge another broad front with certain like-minded parties comprising Marathas, Muslims, etc.

Slamming the MahaYuti, Ambedkar pointedly asked “from where is the fund coming for the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme, and sought to know whether it was being diverted from the budget of the SC/STs in the state.

"A month ago, this very (MahaYuti) government diverted funds from the welfare budget of SCs and STs to be used for non-SC and ST spendings. Be it the BJP or the Congress, both have been diverting funds in their state governments to other schemes from the budget of SCs and STs for other schemes. Why not make a separate budgetary provision rather than doing so at the cost of the welfare of SCs and STs?" questioned Ambedkar.

The VBA, which narrowly missed joining the MVA alliance in the 2024 LS elections, has not clearly indicated whether it would join any of the existing blocs, or form its own separate group, or go solo in the Assembly elections – like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray – which has decided to contest all the 288 seats independently.

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