Lucknow, Oct 27 Union minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Dr Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said that his party has requested 10 seats from the BJP for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due next year.
Speaking to reporters here, Athawale, whose party is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), said that given the unprecedented expansion of the RPI(A)’s organisational structure down to the block and booth levels, as well as its growing public support, the party has sought 10 seats from the BJP leadership as part of the alliance.
The Union minister said, “Our party believes that a significant base of the exploited and marginalised sections in Uttar Pradesh is aligned with the RPI(A). Therefore, fielding candidates for 10 seats will help the alliance secure a resounding victory in the state.”
He added that while the RPI(A)’s primary preference is to contest the elections as part of the NDA, the party is fully prepared to field its own official candidates independently on 200 Assembly constituencies in the state if an agreement on this demand is not reached.
He asserted that the party’s booth-level preparedness and the enthusiasm of its workers in the state are more than sufficient to contest 200 seats on its own.
During his visit to Lucknow, Athawale also attended a review meeting of the party’s office bearers at Sahkarita Bhawan as the chief guest. He conducted a detailed review of the party’s progress and its electoral strategies for the upcoming polls.
(PTI News)
