Ambedkar points fingers at Sanjay Raut for breakdown in parleys between MVA and VBA for LS elections

VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar singled out Sanjay Raut, spokesperson of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, as being responsible for the breakdown in parleys between the MVA and the VBA

After announcing that his Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) would have no truck with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Lok Sabha elections, VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar on March 29 singled out Sanjay Raut, spokesperson of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, as being responsible for the breakdown in parleys between the MVA and the VBA.

Speaking in Mumbai, Mr. Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, targeted Mr. Raut for spreading misinformation about seat-sharing during talks between the MVA and the VBA, while accusing the Sena (UBT) leader of “stabbing the VBA in the back”.

“Sanjay Raut, how many lies will you tell?” Mr. Ambedkar said, speaking to mediapersons and alleged that it was Mr. Raut who had not invited the VBA for seat-sharing meetings with the MVA (comprising of the Sena (UBT), the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Congress) partners.

“Sanjay Raut and the MVA are two different entities. Is it not true that you [Mr. Raut] had raised the issue of fielding a candidate against the VBA in Akola? On the one hand, he was creating this perception of forming an alliance with us, but on the other, he was plotting to undermine the VBA. He has stabbed us in the back,” alleged Mr. Ambedkar, who attacked Mr. Raut for falsely claiming before the press that the alliance with the Sena (UBT) and the VBA was strong and the latter was very much a part of the opposition MVA coalition.

Earlier, Mr. Ambedkar had shared a pointed picture on X. In this, a hand carrying a knife and bearing the legend ‘Sanjay Raut’ is shown stabbing a man representing the VBA.

The VBA president’s stark and vocal criticism of Mr. Raut comes as a shock to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena camp given that Mr. Ambedkar had forged an alliance with Mr. Thackeray’s party early last year at a time when Mr. Thackeray’s other MVA partners – the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP – had been extremely wary of taking Mr. Ambedkar onboard the MVA bandwagon.

Through all this, Mr. Raut, ironically has remained one of Mr. Ambedkar’s staunchest supporters as expressed by his statements lauding the VBA chief in the media.