MUMBAI: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Adv Prakash Ambedkar has refused to go along with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and has given an ultimatum to the Congress regarding making its stand clear by August 31.
“We don’t trust the NCP. They can go with the BJP any moment. Hence, while continuing our talks with the Congress we haven’t considered the NCP as an alliance factor. We are firm on our stand and the Congress now needs to decide,” Ambedkar has said adding that he would reveal the next step of his party in this regard only on August 31.
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The Congress-NCP alliance had suffered a huge blow in the recent Lok Sabha elections primarily due to the VBA. Due to this, the opposition mega alliance wants the VBA to be on its side. But, the VBA’s mistrust for the NCP has posed a major hurdle before the alliance.
Ambedkar, who addressed a press conference in Pune on Thursday, also came down heavily at the BJP while saying that the party is rapidly becoming the party of thieves.
“The NCP was the party of opportunists. Hence, the leader who were not confident of winning are migrating from the NCP to BJP. They are hopeful of victory by joining BJP. The condition in Congress too is not very different. Both of them have started seizing to exist as political parties,” Ambedkar said and added that the BJP appears to be a party of thieves as all those who are facing inquiry are joining the BJP.
Ambedkar also came down heavily against RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat for his suggestions regarding the reservation.
“All those who are beneficiaries of the reservation should strive for BJP’s defeat in the assembly polls. Else, the reservation too shall meet the same fate as that of the article 370 after the polls,” Ambedkar warned.