HYDERABAD: While 26 Opposition parties have come together to form a new alliance named INDIA ahead of the 2024 General Elections, another alliance is taking shape in Maharashtra under the leadership of Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, alongside Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) and two other political parties.
According to a reliable source in the BRS, discussions with the two political parties in Maharashtra are underway, and a decision is expected within a month. This alliance is also likely to see the inclusion of Chandrasekhar Azad Ravan-led, Uttar Pradesh-based Bhim Army, which is set to contest the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
While actively reaching out to prominent leaders from Maharashtra to join the BRS, KCR has been simultaneously exploring the possibility of forming an alliance in Maharashtra where he believes the pink party will make inroads, the source said.The source said that this is due to the prevailing political uncertainty in Maharashtra, as evident from the emergence of factions within the Shiv Sena and NCP.
Against this backdrop, KCR sees an opportunity to do well in Maharashtra in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A good showing in the General Elections will naturally be a huge morale booster for the BRS when Maharashtra votes for a new Assembly.BRS sources said that the party is likely to contest 27 Lok Sabha constituencies on its own. However, if the alliance materialises, the BRS-led alliance will contest all Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, the sources said.
Presently, the Congress-NCP Sharad Pawar faction and Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction are united under the banner of Maha Vikas Aghadi, while the NDA is supported by Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP and Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. The prospect of an alliance between BRS, VBA, Bhim Army, and the two other political parties has the potential to create a political game-changer in both Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections. Vote share plays a crucial role in determining electoral outcomes, and KCR’s desire to onboard Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA is driven by the party’s respectable performance in the previous elections.
AIMIM angle
In the 2019 elections, the VBA, led by Prakash Ambedkar, entered into an alliance with the AIMIM and contested 238 of the 288 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra. While it did not win any seat, the party got 24 lakhs votes or 4.6% of the total votes polled, coming in second place in 10 segments.The VBA broke off its alliance with the AIMIM for the Lok Sabha election, but supported the green party in Aurangabad, helping it win. The VBA also contested 47 Lok Sabha seats but won none.
However, it secured 6.97% vote share getting 37.43 lakh votes in these 47 LS constituencies. VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar was the runner-up from Akola Lok Sabha seat and the party was placed third in 41 Lok Sabha segments, with its nominees bagging more than 80,000 votes in each of these segments.
Taking these statistics into account, it is understandable why KCR is keen to ally with Prakash Ambedkar. Chandrasekhar Azad, popularly known as the Bhim Army chief, is also expected to be a key figure in this alliance, as he continues to tour various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Changing the game
An alliance with the VBA has the potential to be a political game-changer in both Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections. KCR’s desire to onboard Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA is driven by the party’s respectable performance in past elections.
BRS eyes 27 LS segments
BRS sources said that the pink party is likely to contest 27 Lok Sabha constituencies on its own. However, if the alliance materialises, the BRS-led alliance will contest all Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.