CM agreed to give one post in Maharashtra cabinet and 10 seats in state for upcoming polls: Ramdas Athawale

Union Miniarwe Ramdas Athawale on Friday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reacted positively to his demands for one ministerial berth in the upcoming cabinet expansion and 10 seats for his party RPI in the Assembly polls later this year.

"I met the CM and demanded that at least one ministerial berth be given to Republican Party of India (RPI) in the upcoming Maharashtra cabinet expansion, I also demanded 10 assembly seats for RPI to contest in polls. The CM was positive to both of my demands," he said talking to reporters after the meeting.

Athawale is the president of RPI which is a part of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra.

He represents the state of Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament.

Athawale also requested Fadnavis for a national memorial to be made at the site where Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar spent many years of his life and to increase the height of the national icon's statue to 350 meters.

"I requested to make a national memorial at 'Rajgruh' where Baba Saheb Ambedkar spent several years. Currently, Baba Saheb Ambedkar's grandsons live there with their families, I have also demanded their respectable rehabilitation."

"I also demanded to increase the height of Ambedkar's statue to 350 meters excluding the height of the foundation of the statue, and the CM agreed to it too," Athawale said.