Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, leader of the Republican Party of India (A), an ally in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, has expressed his party’s desire to contest at least 10 to 12 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Speaking at a press conference in Nagpur, Athawale stated that the RPI(A) plans to run on its own symbol and is seeking three to four seats in Vidarbha, including constituencies like North Nagpur, Umred (Nagpur), Umarkhed (Yavatmal), and Washim.
Athawale's RPI(A) is part of the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar's NCP. The RPI(A) has identified 18 potential seats, which it will present to its allies for seat-sharing discussions. Athawale urged the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP to allocate four seats each from their quotas to accommodate his party.
Earlier in Palghar, Athawale voiced disappointment that RPI(A) was left out of ministerial positions in the state government, despite earlier assurances, due to the inclusion of Ajit Pawar's NCP in the alliance. He emphasized that his party had been promised cabinet roles, chairmanships of two corporations, and positions on district-level committees, but these did not materialize following Pawar's entry.Maharashtra’s 288-seat assembly elections are expected to take place in November. Currently, the BJP holds the largest share of seats with 103 MLAs, followed by Shiv Sena with 40, NCP with 41, Congress with 40, Shiv Sena (UBT) with 15, NCP (SP) with 13, and 29 held by other parties. Some seats remain vacant.