The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena may have swept Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections, but the political formation which attracted most attention was the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). The VBA, which fought in an alliance with the Owaisi-led AIMIM, cornered around 41 lakh votes, could get one MP elected and is said to have contributed to the defeat of the Congress-NCP in another eight. Also Read: Congress & NCP need to pull up socks, start afresh While the AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel trounced incumbent Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire from Aurangabad, some opposition candidates who were hurt by the presence of the VBA, included former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde (from Nanded and Solapur respectively). Jaleel said they planned to contest the state Assembly polls, scheduled to be announced in September, in an alliance with the VBA. The two parties feel that their rainbow coalition consisting of Dalits, especially the Buddhist Dalits, Muslims, and smaller OBCs may help them secure a political opening in the polls. At present, Ambedkar has one MLA in the lower house, while the AIMIM could get two legislators elected in 2014. Also Read: Tough nut to crack: Congress-NCP combine will have to change narrative of nationalism “Our Aurangabad model has succeeded. Muslims, Dalits, and other backward classes have come together to achieve success. This model can be replicated elsewhere in Maharashtra,” Jaleel said. A VBA leader said they were planning to contest most of the 288 Assembly constituencies. VBA leader Gopichand Padalkar, who contested from Sangli, said the front had served as an alternative to those miffed at both the Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena-BJP. Also Read: Does success hurt more than loss? Shiv Sena-BJP alliance to tell Padalkar added that with the two political formations (Congress-NCP and Sena-BJP) likely to contest in an alliance, they could attract disgruntled candidates from these parties, who were denied nominations. Although Congress and NCP leaders charge that the VBA has dented the “secular vote base,” affecting their chances and ensuring the victory of the BJP and Shiv Sena, VBA leaders state they had given representation to castes like Vadars, Shimpis, Kaikadis, Muslims, Kolis, and Dhangars, that were feeling left out of electoral politics, despite their aspirations. This, they claim, will break the stranglehold of established castes like Marathas and Kunbis and some Sanskritised OBCs over electoral politics. Also Read: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 'not certain' how to brace for state polls

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