NewKerala.com

RPI(A) to Contest Polls in 3 States, May Back BJP in Bengal: Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale announced the Republican Party of India (Athawale) will contest assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam. The party is considering supporting the BJP in West Bengal to avoid splitting the anti-incumbent vote and defeat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Election Commission has scheduled polling to begin on April 9 for several states, with Tamil Nadu and West Bengal voting later in the month. Vote counting for all five states and union territories is set for May 4.

Key Points: RPI(A) Election Plan: 3 States, BJP Support in Bengal

  • RPI(A) to contest 25-30 seats in Tamil Nadu
  • Party to fight 10-12 seats in Kerala and 15-20 in Assam
  • May support BJP in West Bengal to avoid vote split
  • Polling in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry starts April 9
  • Counting of votes for all states on May 4
2 min read

RPI(A) to contest polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam; extend support to BJP in Bengal: Ramdas Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale announces RPI(A) will contest seats in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and may support BJP in West Bengal to defeat Mamata Banerjee.

"We want to defeat Mamata Banerjee there, so we have to avoid splitting of votes. - Ramdas Athawale"

Nagpur, March 21

Union Minister and Republican Party of India President Ramdas Athawale on Saturday announced that the party will contest assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, while offering support to the National Democratic Alliance in West Bengal.

Maharashtra-based RPI(A), Athwale said that they have decided to contest on 25-30 seats in Tamil Nadu, 10-12 seats in Kerala, and 15-20 seats in Assam.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Athawale said, "RPI has decided to contest 25-30 seats in Tamil Nadu, 10-12 seats in Kerala, and 15-20 seats in Assam. We are still discussing West Bengal. We want to defeat Mamata Banerjee there, so we have to avoid splitting of votes. RPI is thinking of supporting the BJP, but it has yet to be announced. We will be contesting the election in 3 states out of 5, and maybe we will support the BJP for the remaining two states. NDA will make every effort to win in all five states."

RPI(A) currently has no seats in the Maharashtra Assembly and Lok Sabha, and Athawale himself is the only party representative in the Upper House of the Parliament.

The Union Minister said that the party is not fielding a candidate in West Bengal to avoid splitting of votes with the BJP.

On March 15, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Assembly polls for Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. As per the announcement, the assembly elections will commence from April 9.

Polling for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held on April 9 in a single phase. While in West Bengal, the first phase of voting is scheduled for April 23, followed by the second phase on April 29.

Tamil Nadu will hold its elections on April 23 in a single phase.

Counting of votes for all five states and UTs is scheduled for May 4.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As someone from Tamil Nadu, I have never even heard of RPI(A) here. 🤔 They are announcing 25-30 seats, but do they have any ground presence or credible candidates? Seems more like a symbolic move to stay relevant in the NDA. DMK and AIADMK won't even notice.
R
Rohit P
Athawale sahab is a good orator and a loyal ally. His support in Bengal will help consolidate anti-TMC votes. Every seat matters in a close fight. NDA's unity is key to defeating Mamata Banerjee's divisive politics. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
S
Sarah B
Respectfully, this feels like political posturing. The article says the party has no seats in Maharashtra's assembly or Lok Sabha. How can they realistically contest 50+ seats across three states with no base? Resources and local cadres are crucial. Hope they don't end up confusing voters.
K
Karthik V
In Kerala, the fight is always between LDF and UDF. A small party like RPI(A) contesting 10-12 seats will have zero impact. Maybe they are hoping for a post-poll alliance if NDA needs numbers? But that's a very long shot. Focus should be on strengthening in Maharashtra first.
M
Meera T
Good to see smaller allies getting space in the coalition. It strengthens our democracy. Even if they don't win, they bring important perspectives to the table. All the best to RPI(A) candidates! May the best team win.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50