Prakash Ambedkar meets Eknath Shinde; sparks speculation

At a time when Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-group and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi are finalising a tie-up ahead of local bodies elections in Mumbai and Maharashtra, the latter’s back-to-back meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has sparked speculation in Maharashtra’s political circles of a possible alliance.

Ambedkar, popularly known as Balasaheb, is the great-grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar the chief architect of Constitution.

While Shinde did not offer any comments on the Wednesday night "secret meeting", Ambedkar, denied any such move as the former is an ally of the BJP.

“No comments,” said Shinde, the head of Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, when asked about the closed-door meeting that went on for over two-and-a-half hours.

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Ambedkar said that he had met Shinde for other issues and sought to clear his position. “Our position is very clear. Shinde is an ally of the BJP. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh are opposed to BJP. If Shinde comes out of it, we can discuss,” Ambedkar said.

On his understanding with Thackeray, he said: “Yes, we had met and decided to contest together. We have committed (to contest together)… it is a one-on-one commitment. But there is no public commitment as yet. Uddhav Thackeray would have to take a call when to make a public announcement.”

Ambedkar, a former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP, on the other hand said that while Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-group is positive on the alliance, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress seems to be opposed.

“The meeting was in connection with the construction of the memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at the Indu Mill compound. Balasaheb has been trying to get the memorial work expedited,” said VBA spokesperson Siddharth Mokle.

Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, when asked about the development, said: “What is secret about it? Ambedkar met Shinde…there is no secret meeting. If it was secret how did you find out about it? Entire Maharashtra knows about it.”

BSS spokesperson Naresh Mhaske said that as Shinde is Chief Minister, the meeting with Ambedkar was conducted in the official capacity.

“There is no truth in the speculations about the tie-up,” he said, adding that the meeting was held in Varsha, the official residence of the CM and hence it cannot be described as a "secret meeting".

It may be mentioned that last week, Shinde had meetings with Peoples Republican Party founder Prof Jogendra Kawade and had a formal tie-up. Earlier Prof Kawade was part of the MVA. The development has upset Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale as the Republican Party of India (Athawale) is an ally of the BJP.