Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar has stirred the political waters by declaring, "The real Shiv Sena belongs to Eknath Shinde." He further commented, "Uddhav Thackeray's strike rate in the recent Lok Sabha elections increased due to support from the Muslim community." This marks a shift from Ambedkar's earlier support for Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, as he now criticizes them.
Before the Lok Sabha elections, Prakash Ambedkar met Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction), at Thackeray's Mumbai residence, 'Matoshree.' Following this meeting, a coalition between VBA and the Shiv Sena was announced. However, they contested the elections separately, with the Thackeray faction aligning with the MVA and the VBA adopting an 'Ekla Chalo Re' (Go it alone) stance.
There was speculation that VBA might join forces with the MVA (comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party) for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Despite multiple meetings and discussions, this alliance did not materialize, and VBA contested the elections independently. Recently, there have been talks about a potential VBA-MVA coalition for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, but nothing has been confirmed. Instead, Prakash Ambedkar continues to criticize MVA leaders while praising the ruling party.
Ambedkar has been vocal against MVA leaders on issues such as Maratha and OBC reservations, while simultaneously commending the ruling party. He praised Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, stating, "The traditional Shiv Sena votes are with Eknath Shinde. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sainiks and voters showed their trust in him. Shiv Sainiks now regard Eknath Shinde as the true leader of the Shiv Sena. The support for Shinde’s faction is evident."
Ambedkar also commented on Uddhav Thackeray's increased strike rate, attributing it to support from reservation advocates and the Muslim community. On the matter of Maratha reservation, Ambedkar criticized Thackeray's stance. He said, "I find Uddhav Thackeray’s position on Manoj Jarange Patil's demand to include Marathas in the OBC category unfortunate. Thackeray should clarify whether he supports or opposes this demand. Instead of making his position clear, Thackeray suggested going to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the reservation quota. This approach does not resonate with me."