Tensions Rise: Athawale Seeks More Seats in Mumbai Civic Polls

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale recently met Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, advocating for more seats from the BJP-Shiv Sena quota to enhance RPI (A)'s involvement in Mumbai and Thane civic polls. Asserting his party's exclusion was a 'betrayal of trust,' Athawale also pressed for RPI worker inclusion in administrative bodies.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale convened with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, fervently advocating for a greater allocation of seats from the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition to intensify the presence of the Republican Party of India (A) in the impending municipal elections in Mumbai and Thane.

The discussion occurred after Athawale publicly criticized the BJP-Sena collaboration, alleging 'betrayal of trust' following their omission of RPI (A) from a crucial seat-sharing negotiation for Mumbai's civic polls. Emphasizing his party workers' growing discontent over their underrepresentation in major municipal corporations, Athawale sought more seats from the BJP-Shiv Sena quota.

In a related development, Athawale articulated a demand for the integration of RPI members in strategic planning and administrative organizations. Shinde indicated potential collaboration, provided a list of candidates from the RPI is supplied. However, he mentioned that there's currently 'no room for RPI' in the Thane city seat-sharing framework, asserting BJP-Shiv Sena's finalized distribution for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)