‘Keen on tie-up with BJP in UP, other states’
Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment and leader of Republican Party of India-A (RPI-A) Ramdas Athawale on Saturday said that he was keen on a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming polls in four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
He said he was also interested in a pact with BJP for UP assembly polls due in 2022.
Athawale made the statement in Lucknow on Saturday. He is also scheduled to have discussions with UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the issue. He is later tipped to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah on the subject.
“If the BJP leaves 8 to 10 seats in UP for his party, it can give a jolt to the BSP in the state,” he said while talking to newspersons at VVIP guest house on Saturday.
He said his party would field candidates in some seats and extend support to the BJP in other seats if the UP alliance does not happen. In Bengal, he said, BJP would benefit in a tie up with RPI.
“If Mayawati ji joins my party, she would be given the post of the president of RPI and I will myself opt for the post of vice president as this is the party of Babasaheb (Bhimrao Ambedkar),” Athawale said to a query. He also offered “an important post” to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad in his party.
On the ongoing farmers agitation, he said, “Our government is not against farmers but if one law is repealed, there would be pressure to withdraw all laws. The government is ready for amendment in the farm law.”
On the issue of Maharashtra Congress unit President Nana Patole’s announcement to oppose film actors Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar on the issue of inflation, the RPI president said that his party has decided to support Bollywood stars. To a question on Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s visit to Varanasi on the occasion of Sant Ravidas Jayanti, Athawale said, “She (Priyanka) can visit whichever temple she wants but the Congress has no future till Rahul Gandhi is there”.
The RPI president demanded the landless people of Uttar Pradesh be given 5-acre land in UP and also said that Marathas in Maharashtra, Jaats in Haryana and Rajputs in UP were demanding reservation and so they should also get 10-12% quota. He also said that the 2021 census be caste-based so as to find out the actual caste data on the country.
ATHAWALE SAID IN BENGAL THE BJP WOULD BENEFIT IN A TIE UP WITH RPI