Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, the chief of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) [RPI (A)], announced on Tuesday that he has communicated his party’s request to contest on eight to ten seats in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Athawale stated that he conveyed this demand to senior BJP leader and Maharashtra polls in-charge, Bhupendra Yadav, as part of the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the Mahayuti alliance.
The Mahayuti alliance, which consists of the BJP, the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is gearing up for the assembly elections expected to be held in November. Athawale emphasised the importance of RPI (A)’s participation, noting that the party has a distinct vote bank, particularly among the Dalit community.
“We expressed our desire for eight to ten seats, which translates to one or two seats in each region to strengthen our representation,” Athawale remarked. He expressed confidence in the alliance partners, stating that the inclusion of RPI (A) would be beneficial given its dedicated support base.
As the current assembly comprises 288 seats, with the BJP holding the largest share at 103 MLAs, the allocation of seats will be critical in shaping the electoral landscape. The assembly is also home to 40 MLAs from the Shiv Sena, 41 from the NCP, 40 from Congress, and 15 from the Shiv Sena (UBT), among others.
In addition to his electoral discussions, Athawale highlighted his recent meeting with Mumbai Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar regarding preparations for the commemoration of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s death anniversary on December 6. Athawale reported that approximately Rs 11 crore has been allocated for this event, with arrangements being made at key locations such as Shivaji Park and Chaitya Bhoomi to accommodate the expected influx of visitors.
With the assembly elections on the horizon, RPI (A)’s request for seats and the broader dynamics of the Mahayuti alliance will play a pivotal role in the political strategies of the involved parties.
(PTI inputs)
