Union Minister of State for Social Justice, Ramdas Athawale, has put forward three significant demands to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the country gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Athawale's party, the Republican Party of India (RPI), has expressed its desire to contest three seats in the Lok Sabha elections and has requested 15 seats in the Assembly elections.
Ramdas Athawale, in yet another significant move, has raised a demand for the expansion of the state cabinet. He has insisted that the Republican Party should be granted one seat in this forthcoming cabinet expansion. The BJP's decision on Athawale's demand has garnered immense attention, as speculations arise about the possibility of Athawale withdrawing from the alliance if his demand is not met. The role of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in persuading Athawale remains uncertain and awaits observation.
Athawale expressed that in order to attain central recognition and symbol recognition from the Central Election Commission, it is crucial for their party to secure a minimum of two seats. He affirmed his determination to engage in discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J.P. Nadda, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to secure two to three seats. Furthermore, he emphasized the goal of obtaining 10-15 seats for the upcoming assembly elections, highlighting their relentless efforts to maximize seat allocation.