NDA will win 350 seats in Lok Sabha polls: RPI leader Ramdas Athawale

Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale on Sunday claimed that the NDA will win 350 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. He also said the BJP alone will win more than 65 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

"NDA will win 350 seats in this election. In UP, BJP will get more than 65 seats," he said while talking to ANI here.

He also announced that the RPI will field 76 candidates in different states, but insisted that this will not hurt his ally BJP.

"RPI is fielding 76 candidates in different states. My candidates will not cut the BJP's vote share. Like in Uttar Pradesh, SP-BSP has an alliance. So my candidate in UP will eat into the BSP's vote bank, which will ultimately benefit the NDA," he said.

Ramdas also invited Prakash Ambedkar to join the RPI and lead the party. "If he unites with the RPI, I am ready to give up my ministerial post for him," Athawale said.

Reacting to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owais 'Laila-Majnu' comment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Athawale said: "This alliance is to break the grand-alliance."

Elections for 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra are scheduled to be conducted in seven phases. Seven seats in the state went for polling during the first phase on April 11. The results will be announced on May 23.