The move was seen as an attempt by Thackeray to consolidate support among Dalits ahead of the civic polls in the state. Thackeray's party is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of which the NCP and Congress are also a part. A few days after the Sena (UBT) and VBA forged an alliance, Pawar had said that no talks had been held among the MVA constituents about taking the Ambedkar-led outfit on board.
