Still hopeful for a pre-poll truck with the BJP, Republican Party of India (RPI- Athawale faction) announced that his party would contest around 250 seats in UP Assembly poll in order to dent the Dalit votebank of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
“We have kept our options open. If there is a pre-poll alliance with the BJP, we can contest around 15 seats. But it that does no happen, then the RPI will contest 250 seats to overturn the applecart of BSP in turn benefiting the BJP,” said RPI national president and Union minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale in lucknow on Monday.
“I had talks with BJP chief Amit Shah and he assured me to look into the matter. But we are not concerned. Even if we don’t have any alliance, the RPI will contest the poll with full vigour to take on the BSP,” he said.
The RPI has drawn up a strategy to bring several Bollywood stars like Rakhi Sawant, Hemant Birje and Ali Khan for its poll campaign.
“We have already received candidatures in over 100 seats and it will increase in the coming days,” Athawale said while adding that he RPI will support the BJP in all the remaining seats.
Reacting to the ongoing dispute within the Samajwadi Party, the RPI chief said ,”It is unfortunate that a political fight is going on between a father and a son.”
The RPI leader said that it is a fight between Shivpal Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav rather than between Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh. “Mulayam Singh is a good friend and he had also allotted an office to the RPI in lucknow. But we all hope that the dispute is sorted out soon,” he added.
Claiming himself as the ‘ jamai’ of UP as his wife, a Brahmin, belongs to Varanasi, the RPI chief said that the state has seen ‘Behenji’ for the last several years but now they should see the ‘Bhaiji’.
Defending PM Modi’s demonetisation drive, Athawale said, “Such move has been brought about to clean the system from corruption and black money. This election in UP will be the first example where ‘notebandi’ will be put to test.”