Offered four Lok Sabha seats to Ambedkar-led VBA; doors of MVA always open to party: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on March 16 said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has given a proposal for four seats to Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on March 16 said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has given a proposal for four seats to Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Ambedkar has been in seat-sharing talks with the MVA constituents — Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Congress. He has been critical of the Congress, alleging a lack of coordination during the discussions.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Raut said, "Out of a list of 27 seats the VBA gave us, we have sent them a proposal for four seats. We have asked Ambedkar to consider the four-seat offer and let us know what more they want. Our doors are open to the VBA." MVA leaders held a meeting with senior Congress leaders from Delhi last night. However, representatives of the VBA remained absent, having participated in the talks earlier.

The Sena (UBT) leader also rejected reports that the Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve was upset and contemplating a move to the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

"Danve is a loyalist to the core and is not upset. He did express his wish to contest from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar seat. Uddhavji held talks with him and former MP Chandrakant Khaire on Friday and both leaders will work for the candidate that Uddhavji has chosen for the seat," he said.

Calling the electoral bonds scheme a case of money laundering, Mr. Raut said cases should be registered against the top BJP leadership.

"Modi ka parivar are the contractors and industrialists who donated to the electoral bonds scheme. When the INDIA alliance comes to power, poor people of the country will be our parivar," the Sena (UBT) leader said, taking a dig at BJP leaders' "Modi ka Parivar" tagline on their 'X' handles.