RPI may field candidates on around 10 seats in alliance with BJP: Athawale

Republican Party of India president and Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday said his party may field candidates on around 10 seats in alliance with the BJP for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

He told reporters that talks are under way with BJP president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard.

His party may field candidates on 10-12 seats dominated by Muslims, Scheduled Castes and backward classes in alliance with the BJP, said Athawale, whose party is a constituent of the NDA at the national level.

Athawale is the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Narendra Modi government.

He said his party will start its poll campaign by taking out a ''Bahujan Kalyan Yatra'' from Saharanpur on September 26. The yatra will culminate at Lucknow's Rama Bai Ambedkar Park on December 18.

Responding to a question, Athawale said neither the BJP nor PM Modi are against the Muslim community as they believe in ''sabka saath, sabka vikas''.

In response to a question on farmers’ stir over the farm laws, Athawale said those protesting do not come from the farming community and claimed that 80 per cent of farmers are still with Modi and the BJP.

Athawale stressed the need for inter-caste marriagea and said this is an effective way to bring social harmony in today's scenario.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)