RPI leader Athavale demands four seats

Ramdas Athavale-led RPI, which is part of the BJP-led NDA alliance, today demanded a Rajya Sabha and three Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra for the forthcoming elections and has indeed secured assurance on the RS seat from the Sena-BJP quota.
"However, final decision will be taken on January 14 when the co-ordination committee of Shiv Sena, BJP, RPI and new entrant Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana meets," Athavale told reporters.
He said Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and state BJP leaders were in talks with BJP president Rajnath Singh and the party's PM candidate Narendra Modi on the issue of seat-sharing for elections.

"The grand alliance of Sena-BJP-RPI, along with Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS), is in talks with Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) as well," the dalit leader said.
He said Mahadev Jamkar of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, who had contested as an independent against NCP chief Sharad Pawar from Madha Lok Sabha seat in 2009, is also part of the saffron combine.