Prakash Ambedkar's party releases first list of candidates for Maha polls

Mumbai: In anticipation of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Saturday announced its initial list of 11 candidates, one of whom is transgender.

Shamibha Patil, a transgender member of the Leva Patil community, will run for the Raver assembly seat in the Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra, according to VBA president Prakash Ambedkar, who announced the candidates at a news conference held here.

Elections to the 288-member state assembly are likely to be held in November, PTI reported.

Ambedkar, a grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, also announced two candidates from the VBA's alliance partners BharatAdivasi Party (BAP) and Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP).

While Anil Jadhav (BAP) will be the candidate from Chopda (ST) in Jalgaon, Harish Uike (GGP) will be the candidate from Ramtek in Nagpur.

"Staying true to our sacred ideology, we have given representation to the deprived, 'bahujan' groups with the aim of gaining true representation and political power, and breaking the hegemony of families of certain castes," Ambedkar said while announcing the list.

The party has named candidates from different social communities, which have been socially and politically excluded by the mainstream parties and their successive governments, he said.

Kisan Chavan, who belongs to the Pardhi community, will be its candidate from Shevgaon (in Ahmednagar).

"In addition to fielding two Buddhists, representatives from the deprived caste groups, such as Dhivar, Lohar, and Waddar have also been given a chance in the first list," he said.

The VBA also fielded Savita Mundhe from the Sindkhed Raja seat (in Buldhana), Megha Kiran Dongare from Washim, and a Muslim candidate, Farooq Ahmad, from Nanded South.

Nilesh T Vishwakarma (Lohar community) has been fielded from Dhamangaon Railway (in Amravati), Vinay Bhange (Buddhist) from Nagpur South West, Dr Avinash Nanhe (Dhivar) from Sakoli (in Bhandara), Shiva Narangle (Lingayat) from Loha (in Nanded), Vikas Raosaheb Dandge (Maratha) from Aurangabad East and Sangram Krishna Mane (Waddar) from Khanapur (in Sangli).

"In the coming days, more names will be announced. We are in touch with very prominent political parties and soon more parties will join our alliance," Ambedkar said.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, the VBA had tried to join hands with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP). However, talks between them failed to proceed further.

The Ambedkar-led party then contested several seats in the polls on its own, but could not win any.