The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Thursday announced its support for independent candidate Rahul Kalate, while keeping Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at a distance. VBA had supported Kalate during the 2019 elections too. On this, NCP said тАШit was up to Shiv Sena (UBT) to convince VBAтАЩ, while Sena refused to comment on the VBA-Kalate pact.
тАЬThe VBA has decided to extend its support to independent candidate Rahul Kalate in the Chinchwad Assembly by-poll. We had supported him in the 2019 Assembly elections too, and secured 1.12 lakh votes. If there is any candidate who can stop BJP, it is Rahul Kalate, and therefore, we (VBA executive committee) has decided to support him,тАЭ said state VBA chief Rekha Thakur.
Similarly, the VBA said it will not support the MVA candidate contesting in the Kasba by-poll either, according to party leaders.
VBA has taken the decision primarily on the recent revelation by BJP leader and state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, that тАШNCP chief Sharad Pawar was aware of his (Fadnavis) and Ajit PawarтАЩs government formation in 2019тАЩ. тАЬNCP leader Ajit Pawar had earlier said that he had support from his partyтАж because of the revelations, the situation within MVA has changed. And since NCP has nowhere stated it will not go with BJP, we have decided to back Kalate,тАЭ said Thakur, adding that VBA wanted Shiv Sena (UBT) to contest the Chinchwad seat. тАЬHowever, it did not happen.тАЭ
VBA is in alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, and is so far limited to the Mumbai civic body elections.
