Restarting alliance talks, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday held a meeting with leaders of the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). The VBA has announced candidates for 22 seats, but said that the announcement is not concrete.
Action against RSS
“Action against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and seat sharing are two issues before us. Even though we have announced candidates for 22 seats, we will continue talking to them,” said Laxman Mane of the VBA.
Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, who was present in the meeting said that the Congress and NCP are committed to bring the RSS under the ambit of the Constitution. “Our president Rahul Gandhi is even fighting a court case against the RSS. That issue is sorted. We are discussing seat sharing now and even though nothing concrete has been reached, talks will continue,” he said.
NCP MLA Dr. Jitendra Awhad said the VBA had announced candidates for Nanded, Madha and Baramati Lok Sabha seats. “Even they know that these seats cannot be exchanged at any cost, they have come to talk, which is a positive sign and we will surely move towards forming a secular front in the State with Mr. Ambedkar,” he said.
Following Mr. Ambedkar’s demand to bring RSS under constitutional ambit, the State unit of the Congress had written a letter to him asking for a draft and promising to sign it. However, Mr. Ambedkar replied saying Congress should send it. In Tuesday’s meeting, leaders of the parties’ legal cell, including noted counsel and Rajya Sabha member from NCP Majid Memon were present.
Ambedkarites’ appeal
Meanwhile, a group of intellectuals and social activists from the left and the Ambedkarite movement from Maharashtra have made an appeal to Mr. Ambedkar to think twice on his decision to contest the general elections independently. Activists Bharat Patankar, Milind Ranade, Uka Mahajan and Suresh Sawant said that Congress-NCP’s push to bring RSS under constitution and willingness to give four or more Lok Sabha seats has cleared the path for further discussions. “We are sure that, if taken, your decision to contest polls independently, will not help fascism of the BJP,” the appeal said.
Mr. Ambedkar’s Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh has allied with AIMIM to form VBA. Congress has already clarified that it will not join hands with the AIMIM, but is open to form an alliance with Mr Ambedkar.