Pandharpur (Maharashtra): Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar is expected to influence the outcome of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) are engaged in a direct fight.
Prakash is the grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution.
Prakash's party Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh is in alliance with the AIMIM (All-India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen) led by the Hyderabad-based Owaisi Brothers - Asaduddin and Akbaruddin.
The political front, named Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), is expected to create cracks in the Dalit and Muslim vote banks of Congress. Both these communities together amount to 25 per cent of the population in state.
Even when Prakash’s speaks and works against BJP, he effectively dents the vote base of Congress. Expecting vote split, Congress alleges the VBA is BJP’s B-team.
Prakash is contesting from two seats: Vidarbha’s Akola and Western Maharashtra’s Solapur, where is pitted against Congress’s Sushil Kumar Shinde, the former Union Home Minister.
Prakash Ambedkar speaks:
What’s your position on this Lok Sabha poll?
We are concentrating on Maharashtra. The Congress is far behind here. BJP won’t have a victory as it claims. We will prove our strength this time.
Why was VBA formed?
All other parties are dynasties. Nehru family runs the Congress, Pawars run the NCP and Thackareys own the Shiv Sena. Barring some leaders, others in BJP too have their sons and daughters in them. They don’t work for the people. They just make vote banks out of Dalits and Muslims. We are fighting both the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP alliances.
The Congress alleges you are BJP’s B-team.
The BJP will not gain from our candidacy. The Dhangar community supported BJP-Sena last time. But they are disappointed with the government. Hence they lean towards us this time. So whose votes are we draining? In reality, NCP is BJP’s A-team. They had more seats than Sena in 2014 Assembly polls, and offered to support BJP.
How do you judge the Narendra Modi government?
The worst government the country has seen. They sustain with propaganda and PM Modi has failed to deliver on the many promises made. He behaves like a ‘sarpanch’.
Many deals like Rafale are shady. They lie even to Supreme Court. What did they attain from demonetisation? Modi and co are silencing intellectuals and critics. They are hanging on to inflated nationalism. Why Modi does not enjoy the popularity of 2014? People have seen his real face.
Will Rahul Gandhi’s Rs 72,000 promise affect outcome?
I don’t think so. The Congress has no right to talk about poor after ruling India for decades. They cannot dole out lollipops and chocolates now.
