The Uddhav Thackeray led faction of the Shiv Sena has announced an alliance with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi ahead of the Mumbai civic polls. The announcement was made on Monday, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
Addressing a joint press conference the former chief minister said that their granfathers – Keshav Thackeray and BR Ambedkar – had been contemporaries who admired each other and worked to eradicate social evils and bad practices. Without naming the BJP alliance currently ruling both the state and central governments, he contended that the country was now heading towards autocracy.
“Now there are some bad practices in politics and to eradicate them, the inheritors of these two leaders, and people around them, have come together to protect the country’s interest. We are coming together to ensure democracy is alive,” Thackeray said.
He also dared the powers-that-be to hold Assembly polls in Maharashtra at the earliest. The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition had been unseated last year after currently CM Eknath Shinde led a successful rebellion against the party. As infighting continues, the Sena has been split into two fractions, helmed bythe two leaders. The Thackeray group has routinely called the move a dispensation of “traitors”.
Elections to various civic bodies in the state are slated to occur in the coming days, although dates are yet to be announced. This includes Thane and the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The ruling BJP and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena are likely to contest the upcoming elections together.
Meanwhile, Ambedkar termed the alliance the ‘start of politics of change’ and voiced hope that the other members of the MVA would also join. While the tie-up is currently between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the VBA, Thackeray noted that the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party had not voiced dissent about the possible inclusion.
Last month, the Jogendra Kawade-led People’s Republican Party had joined hands with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Sena. The PRP has a following among Dalits in the state. The BJP is allied with Union Minister Ramdas Athawale’s Republican Party of India (A).
(With inputs from agencies)
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
Less
For all the latest world News Click Here
