RPI talks tough on seat-sharing in Maharashtra

Republican Party of India (A) Wednesday issued an ultimatum to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena to settle the seat-sharing issue in Maharashtra.

RPI (A) president Ramdas Athavale said both BJP and Shiv Sena should immediately "end their differences on the seat-sharing issue" and clarify the number of seats for the other parties in the Grand Alliance.

"We are not interested in breaking the Grand Alliance...The Grand Alliance needs the support of RPI to defeat the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party in the ensuing assembly elections," Athavale said at the party's Maharashtra committee meeting in Chembur here.

Referring to reports that BJP and Shiv Sena were contemplating giving RPI four-five seats in the 288-member house, he said: "We shall settle for only a double-digit seat-sharing figure -- if we get four-five seats, then we will review our continuance in the Grand Alliance."

He said that RPI must be given four seats in the legislative council, at least one post of governor and the BJP and Shiv Sena must take up the issue of a union cabinet berth for him (Athavale) with central leaders.

He added the only option left for "RPI will be to contest the elections independently" if it is not allotted sufficient seats.