VBA ready to fight 46 LS seats on its own if alliance with MVA does not work out: Ambedkar

Nagpur: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Friday said his outfit can independently win at least six Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the upcoming polls, and is ready to field 46 candidates if its alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) does not work out.

He also said that MVA's two constituents Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are currently engaged in a tussle over seat-sharing.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80).

Recently, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said members of the MVA agreed on a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections and that it would be announced soon. He also said that NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress president Nana Patole and Prakash Ambedkar will meet to give final approval to the deal.

Ambedkar-led VBA is trying to become a part of the MVA and eyeing to fight the upcoming elections with its three constituents.

Addressing a press conference at Ravi Bhavan in Nagpur, Ambedkar said, "Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress have a tussle over seat sharing and we (VBA) are still outsiders. Our discussion will begin once they sort out the issue. However, the VBA can independently win at least six Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and is ready to field its candidate on 46 Lok Sabha seats if the alliance does not work out." He was replying to a query on the status of seat-sharing talks with the MVA.

On the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, Ambedkar called it the "easiest" one provided it is fought properly.

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over its economic policies, he said the country was on the brink of economic collapse.