Ahead of Maharashtra elections, tug-of-war between Mahayuti and Athawale seats, demands for 10-12 seats – Ramdas

RPI-A chief Ramdas Athawale’s plans for the Maharashtra elections may once again add to the BJP’s headaches. Athawale has made her stand clear on the elections and said in a statement that she wants to contest at least 10 to 12 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

RPI-A president Athawale said the party will campaign around its symbol and demand 3-4 seats in the Vidarbha region, which includes North Nagpur, Umred (Nagpur), Umakhed (Yavatmal) and Washim districts. The BJP is already facing difficulties in seat-sharing as its allies Shiv Sena and NCP have their own aspirations and demands for seat-sharing.

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BJP may face dual problems

The grand alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar, of which the RPI-A is also a part. Ramdas Athawale’s party is also a centrist ally of the BJP, and in this situation, the BJP faces a double problem and has decided to contest the elections only in good seats.

Athawale hopes to get 10-12 seats

“We have made a list of 18 possible seats which we will share with the Mahayuti partners and we hope to get at least 10 to 12 seats,” Athawale said. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the RPI(A) for not getting any ministerial portfolio in the state, which they had been promised earlier, as the NCP had joined the Ajit Pawar-led grand alliance.

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Equations in Maharashtra Assembly

Athawale was promised a seat in the state cabinet, chairmanship of two corporations and a post in district-level committees, but the induction of Ajit Pawar deprived his party of these posts. In the current parliament, the BJP has 103 MLAs, Shiv Sena 40, NCP 41, Congress 40, Shiv Sena (UBT) 15, NCP (Sharad Pawar) 13 and 29 others, with some seats remaining vacant.