Ambedkar scare for Shinde?

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's (VBA) Prakash Ambedkar has thrown yet another gauntlet at the Congress, which is trying to get his party in the alliance for the general elections.

He said on Monday that he was under pressure from his workers to contest polls from Solapur (reserved), where former union minister and ex-CM of Maharashtra, Sushilkumar Shinde, is to be a Congress candidate.

Seen as Ambedkar's veiled threat ahead of talks between VBA and the Congress combine, the core opposition party is likely to face problems in getting Shinde elected, if Ambedkar refuses to be part of the extended alliance of UPA. Solapur is reserved for schedule caste candidates. Ambedkar's candidature will split the like-minded vote.

The talks with VBA are stuck because Ambedkar has demanded 22 of the 48 seats from the UPA. The UPA is unwilling to meet the unreasonable demand and may part with not more than four seats. There are other smaller partners who have asked for more and if they are all given the seats demanded, the Congress and NCP will be left with very few to share between them.

Ambedkar said he would certainly fight from Akola, which he had won in the past in association with Congress. The Congress is willing to hand Akola (open) to Ambedkar but not ready to offer the other important seats, where its senior leaders will be seen in action.

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