Mumbai:

Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan today addressed the party’s “almost allies” amid disagreements over the seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections. Prakash Ambedkar extended an olive branch. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Prakash Ambedkar had fought with the Maha Vikas Aghadi or MVA (an alliance formed by the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT)) on Contacts were made for the Lok Sabha polls, but the talks failed.

Yesterday, the Congress announced its candidate list from Akola, even as the MVA had earlier made proposals to the VBA for five seats, including Akola, Ramtek, Dhule and one seat in Mumbai. After the VBA separately announced names for some Lok Sabha seats, the Congress party announced its candidates, hinting at divisions.

Mr. Chavan, however, said the Congress party “will withdraw the Congress candidate from Akola if it forms an alliance with the VBA”. Prakash Ambedkar announced that he will contest from Akola seat.

“There is no alliance with VBA yet. If there is no alliance, we will announce our candidate. But even now, at this stage, if there is a settlement with (Prakash) Ambedkar, we will withdraw our candidate, but For this, there must be a coalition,” Mr. Chavan said.

Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dalit icon and father of the Constitution BR Ambedkar, recently announced his candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats in the state, dashing his party’s hopes of joining the MVA. He mocked the state’s opposition coalition and said there were clear differences of opinion.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the VBA candidate came third in many constituencies in which the nominee of the Congress Party or the National Congress Party (Independent) came second, indicating that votes favored the winning candidate, among whom the Congress Party (Independent) The majority are from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena (independent).

The former chief minister of Maharashtra has also expressed his willingness to contest from Satara seat. He had recently met with Maharashtra NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Kalad after Shrinivas Patil, the NCP MP from Satara, refused to contest due to health issues. Jayant Patil held a closed-door meeting.

Mr. Chavan, MLA from Karad South constituency, said that since the Satara Lok Sabha constituency is subject to NCP (SP) quota, Sharad Pawar will decide on the candidate.

“This contest is only a possibility. The NCP has to find a candidate and they have to ensure that there is a strong candidate against the likely BJP candidate. The BJP is likely to field Uday Bhosler (Uday Bhosle), who was the candidate earlier said: “We are in discussions with the NCP. Discussion is ongoing. “

Refuting rumors that he may contest on the NCP (SP) symbol, he said: “If I contest, I will contest on the Congress symbol. This is the NCP led by Sharad Pawar. It’s up to you to decide. I have expressed my wishes.”

Mr Chavan represented Satara in Parliament in the 1990s. In 1999, he was defeated by Shrinivas Patil after Sharad Pawar quit the Congress party and formed the Nationalist Congress Party. Since then, the NCP (undivided) has fielded candidates from Satara.

He also maintained that candidates for all Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be announced soon. “Of the 48 seats, names have been finalized for 45 to 46 seats. Two or three of them have issues which will be resolved within a day or two,” the senior Congress leader said.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 of the 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena won 18 of the 23 seats.

Lok Sabha elections for 48 seats in the state, which is the second largest contributor to the Lok Sabha after Uttar Pradesh, will be held in five phases between April 19 and May 20, with counting of votes taking place in June On the 4th.