Athavale wants Ambedkar's image on new bills; RPI-A to contest

A day after Assembly elections were announced in five states, including high-stake Uttar Pradesh where dalit votes can tilt the scales, RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athavale today demanded B R Ambedkar's image on new currency notes as a "tribute" to him and announced that his party will contest in the most populous state as an alternative to Mayawati's BSP.
Athavale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice, also demanded Ambedkar's image on newly-introduced BHIM application.
Announcing that his party will contest as a partner of BJP with which it already has a working alliance in place in Maharashtra and central governments, he said RPI(A) will ensure that BSP is no more the only "dalit option" available for voters in the northern state, which has sizable dalit population.

"Babasaheb Ambedkar's image should be used on the new currency notes as a tribute to him. High value notes were scrapped by Modi government (which) was the idea of Ambedkar as well...There is nothing wrong in having his image on new bills," he said.
The minister said he would raise a demand seeking Ambedkar's image on BHIM app as well. "The App should have his image as a respect to his work," he said.
BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app for digital payments, named after the dalit icon and architect of Constitution, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I want to give the message to the UP dalit voters that Mayawati is not the only option for them any more. Like any other major political party, RPI (A) is also keen on expanding its base and hence we would like to contest UP polls," the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters here.

He said his party had already received as many as 200 applications from aspirants in Uttar Pradesh, who are keen to contest on RPI symbol.
"I have already spoken with the BJP national president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister and former Uttar Pradesh CM Rajnath Singh," Athavale added.
In Uttar Pradesh, which has a 403-member House, polls will be held in seven phases between February 11 and March 8.
Athavale said his party would also field candidates in four other states, for which elections were also announced.
RPI(A) had supported the BJP in 2014 elections as well.
When asked about quantum of seats his party will contest in UP, Athavale said, "The seat-sharing formula is being negotiated. Once we finalise the talks, we will decide the seat sharing. We will be new ones compared to the BJP and other parties in UP, but our presence there is certainly going to help BJP to win more seats for sure."

RPI (A) has been trying to pitch it as a national dalit player for quite some time. The party had earlier stated that BSP didn't own Ambedkar's legacy in UP.
In a statement, it had said that RPI is the political party floated by Ambedkar himself some 80 years back.