Mumbai: Pointing to purported contradictions in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar questioned the stance of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on the Adani issue, here on Monday.
Addressing mediapersons, he said that while Congress’ Rahul Gandhi is fighting all-out against the Adani Group, NCP President Sharad Pawar goes meeting the Gujarat-based industrialist.
“This has created confusion in the Congress… For how long can this continue…? The people have realised that Congress is unable to adopt a firm stand on this matter. The Congress should ask NCP to clarify and put it before the masses,” urged Ambedkar.
Targeting Congress, the VBA chief said that on September 1, he had written to the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge about joining the INDIA bloc, but got no reply.
The letter was hand-delivered, emailed and posted on the Congress website too, he said, dismissing the contentions by some Congressmen that they received no communication on this proposal.
The letter mentioned the VBA’s terms and conditions to join the INDIA bloc but it is still waiting for the Congress response.
“We are giving a week’s ultimatum to the Congress…If they don’t make their stand clear on this issue within 7 days, then the VBA would contest all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra,” warned Ambedkar.
Referring to the VBA partnership with the Shiv Sena (UBT), Ambedkar said if Aaditya Thackeray plans to contest elections against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Thane, “then I shall fulfill the alliance ‘dharma’ and campaign for Aaditya Thackeray”.
The VBA has also started full preparations for the Lok Sabha polls, “which can be announced any time”, and he, along with top party leaders will start tours around Maharashtra, with rallies in Latur, Beed, Satara and Nashik.
Ambedkar also attacked the MVA allies for not holding any joint meetings in the past one-and-half years, indicating differences among the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SP).
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