Talking about Rahul Gandhi, he said even after being in politics for the last several years, he could not match the charisma of his late father Rajiv Gandhi.
Athawale said his party would contest the next assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with BJP.
Answering a question, he said Maoism could never do anything positive for dalits and tribals. These communities should embrace Ambedkar's philosophy instead, he said.