Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, claimed on Monday that Prakash Ambedkar`s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) is a vital member of Maharashtra`s opposition alliance, which has been carefully built to oppose the ruling BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Raut told the reporters in Mumbai that Prakash Ambedkar, NCP chairman Sharad Pawar, and Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray have discussed the Lok Sabha elections and seat-sharing agreements several times. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, according to a PTI report.