Waited for Prakash Ambedkar's VBA till the last moment, still waiting: Raut

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi waited for the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi till the last moment and is still waiting after the latter announced that he will not ally with the opposition camp for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.

Talking to reporters, Raut said his party was still of the opinion that talks could be held with the VBA.

“We waited for the VBA till the last moment and are still waiting. We had offered the VBA five seats including Akola. We still are of the opinion that talks can be held with him. This can go beyond five,” Raut said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) on Wednesday released its first list of 17 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state, and said it will contest a total of 22 seats in the state.

Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, announced the names of eight candidates for the phase of elections, including himself from the Akola constituency.

Addressing a press conference here, Ambedkar accused the MVA allies - Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) - of trying to use his outfit to promote dynastic politics.

On Tuesday, Raut had said that the VBA was given a proposal of four seats and talks with him were still on.

He asserted that the MVA would win all five seats to which the VBA has staked a claim.

“In these trying times, to save the Constitution, he (Prakash Ambedkar) should ally with the opposition," Raut said.

On March 23, Ambedkar said he was calling off the alliance with Shiv Sena UBT and that he would declare his next move on March 26.

“I am giving back their four seats,” Ambedkar had said on Monday.

Contesting the MVA claim, he said his party was officially offered only three seats including Akola.

Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80), will vote in five phases starting from April 19.