New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar announced an alliance on Monday, January 23, a move which comes before civic polls are due to take place in many parts of Maharashtra, including for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The announcement coincided with the birth anniversary of the late Bal Thackeray. The decision to form an alliance had been in the pipeline for several months, Ambedkar said.
In the joint press conference, Thackeray said that the decision to join forces with the VBA would ensure that “democracy is alive” in the country.
Thackeray also mentioned that his grandfather, Keshav Thackeray, and Ambedkar’s grandfather, B.R. Ambedkar, were contemporaries who admired each other and worked for the betterment of the country.
Shiv Sena is also a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), along with the Congress and the National Congress Party. While the VBA’s alliance is limited to the Sena at present, Ambedkar was hopeful that the other parties will also join.