The date of Maharashtra Assembly elections is approaching. Election dates in Maharashtra can be fixed by the Election Commission any day. Meanwhile, the tussle regarding seat sharing in NDA has intensified. Till now there was a conflict between BJP, NCP and Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. Now Ramdas Athawale’s party RPI has also demanded 10 seats. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said that he has told a senior BJP leader that his party RPA wants to contest on eight to 10 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The Republican Party of India (Athawale) is part of the grand alliance of the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. NDA itself has been named Mahayuti in Maharashtra. Athawale said seat-sharing is being discussed and he has spoken to BJP’s Maharashtra election in-charge Bhupendra Yadav about his party’s demands. He said, ‘We have given them a message that RPI (Athawale) should get eight to 10 seats. I have confidence in our alliance partners BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. RPI (Athavale) has a separate vote bank.
Athawale said that many people from the Dalit community are with the party. Therefore, we should get our fair share in the distribution of seats. Athawale clarified that the party is demanding only eight to 10 seats i.e. one or two seats in each region. Elections are proposed for the 288-member assembly in Maharashtra in November. BJP is the largest party in the current assembly with 103 MLAs. After that Shiv Sena has 40, NCP has 41, Congress has 40, Shiv Sena (UBT) has 15, NCP (SP) has 13 and others have 29 MLAs. Some seats are vacant. The Union Minister said he met Mumbai Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar to discuss preparations for the death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar on December 6.
