'Asked BJP for 10 seats in Maharashtra polls': Ramdas Athawale
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said on Tuesday that he has asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to give eight to 10 seats to his party, the Republican Party of India (A), in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The RPI(A) is part of the Mahayuti alliance, which also includes the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party. "I believe in our alliance partners, BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP," Athawale said.
Athawale highlights RPI(A)'s separate vote bank
Athawale stressed how crucial his party is for the alliance, pointing out that the RPI(A) has its own dedicated vote bank. He mentioned that a lot of people from the Dalit community are part of his party. "So we should get a part in the seat sharing," he said. The Union minister also clarified that his party only asked for eight to 10 seats, which is just one or two seats in every region, to boost its strength.
Current assembly composition and upcoming elections
The Maharashtra Assembly has 288 seats, and the BJP is currently in the lead with 103 seats. The Shiv Sena has 40 seats, NCP has 41, Congress has 40, Shiv Sena (UBT) holds 15, NCP (SP) has 13, and others hold 29. A few seats are still vacant. The next assembly elections in Maharashtra are expected to happen in November.
Athawale's meeting with Minister
In addition to election discussions, Athawale also met with Minister Deepak Kesarkar to discuss preparations for the death anniversary of Dr. BR Ambedkar on December 6. "A meeting was held with civic and railway officials. This year, around ₹11 crore have been approved for this," he said. Arrangements will be made at various locations including Shivaji Park and Chaitya Bhoomi to accommodate the large number of expected visitors.
Congress and MVA yet to finalize seat-sharing deal
Meanwhile, the Congress and Maha Vikas Aghadi are still in talks to finalize a seat-sharing deal for the upcoming Assembly elections. The Congress is set to interview potential candidates despite ongoing negotiations within the MVA. State President Nana Patole described recent discussions as "positive," stating that they plan to announce 200 candidates before Dussehra (October 12).
