Maharashtra polls: Ambedkar-led VBA announces first list of 11 candidates; fields a transgender

Mumbai, Sep 21 (PTI) The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Saturday announced its first list of 11 candidates, including a transgender, for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls.

VBA president Prakash Ambedkar, who announced the candidates at a press conference here, said Shamibha Patil, a transgender from the Leva Patil community, will contest from Raver assembly seat in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra.

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

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 from 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, Waddar have also been given a chance in the first list,” he said.

The VBA also fielded Savita Mundhe from 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.