'Mahayuti' should ensure victory of RPI candidates: Athavale

Republican Party of India (RPI), an ally of the Sena-BJP in Maharashtra today said that even though Ambedkar followers had voted for the saffron candidates in the Lok Sabha elections in all the constituencies, the votes were not transferred to the RPI candidate in Satara.
At a meeting of the state executive of RPI (A), the party passed a resolution that the 'Mahayuti' should take care to ensure that this is not repeated in the assembly polls.
In Mahayuti's Lok Sabha seat sharing agreement, which is an alliance of Sena-BJP-RPI and two other outfits, the Satara seat was given to RPI's Ashok Gaikwad, whose candidate was defeated by NCP candidate Udayanraje Bhosale.

RPI (A) president Ramdas Athavale said his party will demand 25 seats in the assembly elections.
"Mahayuti should give us 25 winnable seats and ensure that all their votes are transferred to our candidates. Our party should also get 15 per cent share in government, after the Sena-BJP led Mahayuti wins," Athavale said.
He added that for the first time Ambedkar followers in Maharashtra had voted for the Sena-BJP and endorsed leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said his party wanted to win maximum seats to get Election Commission recognition.
Athavale said the meeting passed a resolution congratulating Modi on taking charge as Prime Minister and also condoled the sudden demise of Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde.

He said Munde was a pillar of the Mahayuti and a true friend of the Republican movement.