RPI eyes 8-10 seats in BJP-Shiv Sena alliance for Maha polls

Union minister and RepublicanParty of India leader Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said his party, which will contest this year's Maharashtra assembly polls in alliance with BJP and Shiv Sena, may get eight to 10 seats. "In Maharashtra, there are 288 assembly seats. In the lastassembly polls BJP and Shiv Sena had contested separately andRPI had supported BJP...

Now after coming together during the Lok Sabhapolls, it has been decided that BJP will contest in 135 seats and Shiv Sena in 135 and the remaining 18 seats for RPI and other smaller parties," Athawale told reporters here. He said RPI may win eight to 10 seats in the assembly election as it was the stronger one among smaller parties, while the alliance may win about 235-240seats.

In the Lok Sabha election, the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI alliance had won 41 of the 48 seats. Athwale said many NCP and Congress leaders, unhappy with their leadership and the party after the Lok Sabha elections, were eager to joinBJP and others, to the Shiv Sena.

"After the election, our alliance will grow stronger," he added. The assembly elections in Maharashtra are expected to be held later this year.

Congratulating the B S Yediyurappa led BJPgovernment on coming to power in Karnataka, the RPI leadersaid JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's "wrong decision" to join hands with Congress resulted in a loss to the people of thestate, as it "led to 14 months of instability". "Kumaraswamy should have come along with BJP at the beginning itself. He joined hands with Congress for the Chief Minister's post... resulting in a loss for the people Karnatakafor the last 14 months.

After becoming CM, instead of beinghappy and smiling, Congress made him cry," he said, addingthat Karnataka would have got five years of stable government had the BJP and JD(S) come together at the beginning itself. The Minister of State for SocialJustice and Empowerment said cases of atrocities on Dalits are a bit higher in Karnataka and called on the state government, local administrations and police to concentrate on this issue to ensure they don't increase.

"In 2015 it was 3,592 cases, in 2016 it was 3,914, in 2017 it was 4,329 and in 2018- 5,022 cases have been recorded," he said, attributing it to casteism in society. He urged all paerties to work unitedly against it as a social issue and not make it apolitical issue.

The Minister, however, said the good thing was that inter-caste marriages were on the rise in Karnataka. "In 2014-15 it was 2,041, in 2015-16 it was 1,785, in 2016-17 it was 2,145, 2017-18 it was 4,353 and in 2018-19 it was 5,273.. so there is a rise in inter-caste marriages in Karnataka. It is a good sign," he added..

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