Prakash Ambedkar, the formidable grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar and the driving force behind the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), stands at the forefront, contesting the Akola constituency in Maharashtra, which will go to polls on Friday. As election fervour grips the State, the VBA has thrown its hat into the ring, fielding candidates far and wide. However, the decision to go it alone has stirred dissent among the party faithful at the grassroots level.

Despite the allure of alliances, Ambedkar remained resolute, refusing to join forces with the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) alliance. This bold move echoes his stance in the 2019 elections, when the VBA, though not victorious in any seat, wielded substantial influence, significantly undermining the Congress-NCP alliance. The VBA, along with its ally AIMIM, adopted an aggressive stance in 2019, contesting all 48 seats and slicing through the traditional voter base of the Congress and NCP. The fallout was palpable, with Congress-NCP candidates losing out in at least nine Lok Sabha constituencies, a direct consequence of the VBA’s strategic incursion into their vote share.

However, in 2024, the road ahead is fraught with challenges as the VBA faces internal discord over its solo expedition. Some VBA candidates and workers are apprehensive of inadvertently aiding the BJP by splintering votes.

VBA Candidates Retreat

The VBA candidate for Solapur, Rahul Gaikwad, made a last-minute decision to withdraw from the electoral race on Monday, the final day for nomination withdrawals. This move has now set the stage for a direct contest between Praniti Shinde of the Congress and Ram Satpute of the BJP in Solapur. Gaikwad explained his decision, stating, “It seems that I entered the battlefield with a gun but no bullets. Continuing to fight in the polls at this stage would only serve to benefit the BJP. Therefore, I do not wish to be a factor in the victory of the BJP candidate.”

Similarly, in Jalgaon, the VBA initially announced Prafulla Lodha as its candidate. However, Lodha later declared that he would not be contesting, realising that the VBA candidate stood little chance of winning but could inadvertently assist the BJP candidate by splitting the votes of the Congress-NCP alliance. In Dindori, Gulab Barde was nominated by the VBA but declined to contest. Additionally, there were some other constituencies where the VBA had to change its candidates, reflecting the complexities and strategic considerations at play in the political arena.

Charges against VBA 

While political pundits predict that VBA not joining the opposition alliance could help the BJP, Ambedkar says that the fight in Maharashtra is between BJP and VBA. “Our growing power and circumstances have bestowed us with an opportunity — to realise our dream of becoming a State party,” he wrote to his party workers. 

Ambedkar has responded to the allegations of the VBA being a B team of the BJP, saying that Congress and its alliance have lost the power to fight the BJP and are making false allegations against the VBA. 

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