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Mumbai: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar launched a veiled attack against Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state president Chandrakant Patil saying that they should “wait” for five years and continue to perform their duties in Opposition.
Ambedkar however suggested the duo that if they are “restless” then, they should prefer going to Igatpuri to attend Vipasyana (meditation) there.
Igatpuri is a town in Nashik district and is famous for the Vipasyana Kendra. Several prominent figures from politics and other fields have visited the centre to practice Vipasyana.
Ambedkar’s comments stirred up a hornets’ nest as his actions in the past have helped the BJP more than any other political party in the state.
It may be recalled that during the 2019 General Elections, Ambedkar’s VBA and Assaddudin Owaisi’s, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) erstwhile alliance had dented the prospects of the Congress-NCP as the former alliance polled over one lakh votes after they contested on all 48 seats, benefitting the saffron party.
Sensing the motives of VBA, Congress-NCP had termed it as the ‘B’ team of the BJP as they alleged that VBA fielded candidates only to split Dalit and Muslim votes.
It is noteworthy that outcome of the elections impacted the prospects of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) alliance in Nanded, Solapur, Hatkanangale, Beed, Parbhani, Yavatmal, Gadchiroli-Chimur and Sangli.
The VBA candidates also stood third in all these seats. Of the 48 seats, the BJP won 23 seats, Shiv Sena 18, NCP 4, whereas Congress, VBA-ally AIMIM candidate and one independent won one seat each.
In Solapur, Ambedkar stood third with around 1, 69,523 votes. He was also instrumental in ensuring the defeat of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who lost to BJP’s Jai Siddheshwar by 1,57,07 votes.
In Akola, Ambedkar finished second with 2, 78,241 votes, a little lower than the Congress candidate’s losing margin. Congress candidate Hidayatullah Barakatullah Patel lost to BJP’s Sanjay Dhotre with a margin of 2, 98,505 votes.
Other prominent leader who suffered because of the VBA factor was former Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan who lost the Nanded seat to BJP candidate, Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar by just 40,000 votes. VBA’s Yashpal Bhinge bagged 1, 65,341 votes.
Is Ambedkar sending overtures to Uddhav?
At a time when the state BJP leaders are seen making comments that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will collapse under its own burden soon, Ambedkar came for the rescue of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray saying that the Shiv Sena chief should not try to become a “god”.
Uddhav and other leaders from the MVA have been castigated by BJP leaders for handling the Covid-19 crisis. “The mortality rate due to Covid-19 is merely 2 %. There is nothing to worry in it”, he said.
Quoting Lord Buddha, Ambedkar said, “Those who are born will die one day. If efforts are not made to give momentum to the wheels of economy then people might die due to starvation”. He had also demanded that lockdown should not be extended.
Ambedkar was severely trolled by Twitterati
One Ramrajya said: – Prakash Ambedkar should not advise Fadnavis and Patil as the VBA has been using Dalits for its vote bank politics. He himself should go for Vipasyana. Fadnavis and Patil are capable of taking care of themselves.
Another, Anurag Shinde said, had the VBA formed alliance with MIM it would have had at least 15 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
