Uddhav to decide on alliance with MNS: Athawale

Even as Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray ridiculed the "overtures" by BJP and RPI leaders to bring MNS chief Raj Thackeray into the Sena-BJP-RPI alliance, RPI leader Ramdas Athawale today said that a decision on joining of hands with MNS would be taken by the Sena leader.
"The decision to include Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the mega-alliance of Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI, would be taken at the co-ordination committee meeting next week to be attended by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde," Athawale told PTI.
"A decision on this issue would be taken by Uddhav Thackeray," he added.

The RPI leader said that he invited Raj to join the mega alliance only after Uddhav extended an olive branch to his cousin (MNS chief) a few months back. "We have no objection to form an alliance with the MNS," Athawale added.
The intention behind the proposal is that there should be no division of votes, he added.
In today's editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', Uddhav said, "People want to defeat Congress. However, they don't want a tasteless khichdi. They want a stable government and the Sena-led alliance has that capability.
Asked on how many seats RPI wants to contest the general as well as the assembly elections, Athawale said for Lok Sabha polls the party wants at least 3-4 seats (Pune, Latur, Ramtek and Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district).

"For the assembly elections, the RPI is eyeing 30 seats. For the BMC elections we had got 29 seats and we should get 30 seats for the state elections," he said.