Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and President of the Republican Party of India (A), Ramdas Athawale, has urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the allocation of two Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Athawale plans to discuss this request with BJP President J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in an upcoming meeting. The demand stems from the Republican Party of India (A)'s desire to contest elections on two Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
In a statement to ANI, Athawale expressed, "My party, the Republican Party of India (A), works across the country and is with 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra, and should get two Lok Sabha seats in the state. I am going to write such a letter to BJP President JP Nadda ji and will discuss with him."
He further stated his personal interest in contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the 'Shirdi' seat and emphasized the significance of securing the Solapur Lok Sabha seat for the party.
"Our demand for two Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra because the support base of the Republican Party is in every village, the society that believes in Baba Saheb Ambedkar is with me in large numbers...However my term as Rajya Sabha MP till 2026 but I want to Contest Lok Sabha Poll 2024 from Shirdi seat," he added
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, recently disclosed that the seat-sharing formula for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections among the Mahayuti constituents BJP, Shiv Sena, and the NCP has almost been finalized for Maharashtra. The proposal suggests that the BJP will contest 26 seats, while Sena and NCP together will contest 22 out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
The BJP had contested 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, with the then-undivided Shiv Sena contesting 23. In that election, the BJP won 23 seats, and the Sena secured 18 seats.