Charging that the presence of the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) had helped the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha elections, a former founding-member of the outfit has floated his own front with plans to join hands with the opposition parties.
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"The reason for quitting the VBA was that it largely benefited the Shiv Sena and BJP. We are not ready to aid the BJP-Shiv Sena, but are willing to ally with the Congress and NCP," said activist and author Laxman Mane.
Mane, who describes himself as a "founding member" of the VBA, and was its chief spokesperson, has now launched the rival 'Maharashtra Bahujan Vanchit Aghadi.' A Sahitya Academy awardee, Mane is known for his autobiography 'Upara' (outsider), and has a base in denotified communities. Mane said in 2015, he had registered a party 'Bharatiya Samajwadi Republican Congress,' and was now working on changing the nomenclature of his outfit.