Ramdas Athawale Claims His Party Being Ignored In Seat Talks, Meets Devendra Fadnavis

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and complained about his party being ignored in seat sharing talks for the Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Athawale told PTI his Republican Party of India (A) was not allotted a single Lok Sabha seat in the state and that he had apprised Mr Fadnavis he was keen on Shirdi.

"But Fadnavis said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde wanted Shirdi since sitting MP Sadashiv Lokhande is from the latter's Shiv Sena," said Mr Athawale, who had contested unsuccessfully from the seat in 2009.

Mr Athawale said he had sought a cabinet berth in the Narendra Modi government post the Lok Sabha polls and that he be renominated to the Rajya Sabha when his term ends in 2026.

He said RPI(A) must be given seven to eight seats in the Assembly polls in Maharashtra later this year, a ministerial berth in the state government, representation in the legislative council, as well as posts in two state owned corporations.

Mr Fadnavis has said he would discuss these demands with the BJP leadership and ensure it is done, Mr Athawale claimed.

"BJP leader Pravin Darekar has been appointed as pointsman to address issues concerning the RPI(A) in the alliance," the Union minister said.