Mumbai, Dec 28 (NationPress) After prolonged discussions and some disagreements, the Congress party and the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA), led by Prakash Ambedkar, officially announced their alliance for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Sunday.

According to the terms agreed upon, the VBA will contest for 62 out of the 227 seats available in Mumbai.

Additionally, the Congress is in the process of forming alliances with Left parties in specific areas of Mumbai.

“Both parties share a common agenda focused on protecting constitutional values. Historically, Congress and VBA, previously known as Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, collaborated successfully before 1999, achieving a significant number of Lok Sabha seats. Unfortunately, that partnership ceased. I am pleased to announce that we have decided to unite for the Mumbai elections,” stated Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal during a joint press conference with VBA leaders.

Notably, Mumbai Congress chief and Lok Sabha member Varsha Gaikwad and VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar were unable to attend the press conference due to prior commitments.

The two parties had previously contested together in the recent Municipal Council and Municipal Panchayat elections in certain districts.

The Congress aims to strengthen its Dalit votebank statewide by partnering with the VBA.

Moreover, the grassroots workers of VBA could provide additional support to Congress. The VBA, which has minimal electoral presence in municipal corporations, seeks to establish a foothold in urban local bodies.

VBA vice-president Dhairyavardhan Pundkar mentioned that this alliance is advantageous for both entities.

“If we had allied sooner, the BJP might not have made inroads in Maharashtra. However, we believe it is a positive step to join forces now,” he expressed.

Party spokesperson Siddharth Mokale revealed that local VBA units have been empowered to finalize their alliances independently.

Addressing Prakash Ambedkar's recent “sharp criticism” of Congress, Mokale clarified that the disagreements were ideological rather than personal. “The matter has been resolved,” he stated.

Previously, Congress opted not to ally with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray to maintain the support of North Indian voters and minorities. With the MNS and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) forming a coalition for the BMC elections, Congress chose to forge its own path by aligning with the VBA.