The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) continues to keep everyone guessing after it announced its support for Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat despite the breakdown in seat-sharing talks between the VBA and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which comprises of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the Congress, and the NCP (SP).
Mr. Ambedkar, who has announced his intent of contesting the Lok Sabha alone, has said his party would back Ms. Sule (Mr. Pawar’s daughter) in the Baramati contest.
Ms. Sule, who is the MVA’s candidate, is pitted against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar (Ajit Pawar’s wife), who is the ruling Mahayuti’s candidate for the high-stakes Baramati seat, which is the bastion of the Pawar clan.
While the presence of Mr. Ambedkar’s VBA in the Baramati constituency is nominal, his support is interesting at a time when he has been hurling angry jibes at at Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and Congress chief Nana Patole.
The VBA chief, whose alliance with Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena (UBT) recently unravelled amid much acrimony, had earlier announced his support for the Congress on two Lok Sabha seats – Nagpur and Kolhapur. He has, however, fielded candidates against the three MVA parties in other places.
Speaking on the VBA extending its support to her, Ms. Sule said, “I am extremely thankful to Mr. Prakash Ambedkar that he has given us his blessings.”
Ms. Sule, a three-term MP from Baramati, hinted she was hopeful that the VBA could still contest the election jointly with the MVA.
“Discussions are still on… We are hopeful as this is a fight to save democracy and the Constitution,” she said.
The VBA’s decision to contest the polls alone will queer the pitch for the three MVA parties and lead to serious vote fragmentation on some seats.
Mr. Ambedkar has already announced his list of 25 candidates, with the third list declared late Tuesday night.
Notably, the VBA has queered the pitch for the Congress in the Pune Lok Sabha seat by fielding former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Vasant More.
Mr. More, one of the most prominent faces of Raj Thackeray’s MNS, recently quit the party to join the VBA.
Hitting the campaign trail on Wednesday, he said he would redress the divisions created by the BJP’s rule in Pune.
Mr. More’s entry as the third challenger in the fray could cause serious headaches for Murlidhar Mohol, the BJP’s candidate, and Ravindra Dhangekar, who is the Congress-MVA candidate.
A corporator for 15 years who has held various positions in the cash-rich Pune Municipal Corporation, Mr. More said he would be addressing Pune’s traffic, health and sanitation problems.
“I do not have a Modi or a Rahul Gandhi to back me but have the overwhelming support of the city’s public,” Mr. More, who commands respect among the city’s Muslim as well as Maratha voters, claimed.
