Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana gives 2-day ultimatum to Cong, NCP over seat sharing

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], Mar 12 (ANI): Raju Shetti, president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) on Tuesday gave a two-day ultimatum to the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to decide on his party's demand for three Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
The three seats are -- Wardha, Buldhana and Hatkanangale.
Shetti, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangale constituency, said that if both Congress and NCP did not give him a positive response by tomorrow (March 13), he will announce his candidates on March 14.
"Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana is prepared for 15 constituencies if we have to contest alone," he said.
"Everyone should come together to defeat (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi, but the Congress and NCP do not seem to be serious about it," Shetti added.
The SSS president further said he is mulling over other options and will take a call by tomorrow.
Earlier today, Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, said that the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) will contest on all 48 seats in Maharashtra in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
This comes after VBA, which is an alliance of Prakash's Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and Janata Dal (S) in Maharashtra, failed to forge an alliance with the Congress party.
Prakash confirmed to ANI that VBA will announce 26 candidates by March 15. It had earlier announced 22 candidates of the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra.
On March 10, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the 17th Lok Sabha election, which will be held in seven phases, beginning April 11. The final phase of voting will take place on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. (ANI)