Mumbai News

Thackeray-Ambedkar join hands ahead of BMC polls – Hindustan Times

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) party president Uddhav Thackeray, who was looking for a new political-social equation after losing power in the state, on Monday announced an alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, ahead of Mumbai civic elections.

Nation first and fight against dictatorial politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are the main objectives of the alliance, claimed both Thackeray and Ambedkar.

Coinciding with the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray on Monday, both Thackeray and Ambedkar announced the new partnership in a joint press conference. “My grandfather (Prabodhankar) Keshav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar’s grandfather, legendary social icon and jurist Dr B R Ambedkar, were contemporaries and worked together to eradicate social evils and bad practices. Now, we both their grandsons have joined hands to eradicate bad practices in current politics,” said Thackeray.

“Nation first is our motto and we have come together to ensure democracy is alive,” Thackeray said. “We are looking forward for new road and new relationship (Naya raasta and Naya rishta),” he added.

Ambedkar came down heavily on Modi and RSS. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is destroying the political leadership in the country by using the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Modi is not just trying to finish political leadership of opposition parties but he is doing this in his own party and has destroyed the second line of leadership in BJP.

“This is not a good sign for any country and democracy. This is the need of the time to fight against such dictatorial regime. Shiv Sena (UBT) and VBA have joined hands to protect the political leadership in the country and we are ready to help the regional parties from other states.” said Ambedkar.

Thackeray said that VBA will strengthen the power of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The MVA consists Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and they will take care of their friend in seat sharing. So, Congress and NCP will have no problem with Ambedkar as a new partner of Shiv Sena and MVA.

In the past, Ambedkar was seen to be wary of both the Congress party and the NCP. “I will also try to patch up between Ambedkar and NCP president Sharad Pawar.” said Thackeray.

Speaking about the alliance, Ambedkar said that VBA and Shiv Sena (UBT) coming together is the beginning of the politics of change. “RSS and its political wing BJP are spreading politics of hatred and negative Hindutva, which is based on anti-Muslim or anti -Christian narrative. We will change this politics with accommodative politics and Thackeray’s politics of reformist Hindutva.” explained Ambedkar. He also hoped that congress and NCP will accept VBA and will join us.

Thackeray challenged the ruling Shinde-Fadanvis government in the state to declare elections. He also said that once elections are declared we will disclose the seat sharing formula decided with Ambedkar.

Reacting to Thackeray’s statement that BJP is untrustworthy, BJP leader MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar said that ideological arbitrariness is Uddhav’s style of politics. “Uddhav Thackeray, who has, all through his life, resorted only to ideological arbitrariness, has no right to talk about BJP.” said Shelar. “He must neither give any examples nor taunt the BJP” he added.

Thackeray got friend in ‘Bheemshakti’

Uddhav Thackeray and his party, with the objective of adding backward class community to the political base of ‘Shivshakti’, had joined hands with Ramdas Athawale ‘s Republican Party of India (A). However later, Athawale joined hands with BJP and is a Union minister in Modi government. On the other hand, last month, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena joined hands with the Jogendra Kawade-led People’s Republican Party (PRP), which has a following among backward class in the state.

Thackeray knows the importance of ‘Bheemshakti’ in electoral politics of the state and various local bodies including the BMC and Aurangabad, where Shiv Sena (UBT) was in power. Thackeray was trying hard for a friend in ‘Bheemshakti’ and had long discussions with Ambedkar in the last few months.

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