Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022: New entrant in state’s power game, RPI chief Ramdas Athawale wants to contest from at least eight seats

Lucknow: As the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022 draw near, smaller parties have started bargaining with major stakeholders over seat sharing.

Now Union minister and Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale is the new entrant in UP’s power game. The minister, on Monday, has demanded a minimum of eight seats to contest in the coming elections. Athawale's party is a part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.

Meanwhile, after being denied any kind of seat-sharing opportunity by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Asaduddin Owaisi of All India Muslim Ittehadul Musalmin (AIMIM) has said that his party will contest 100 assembly seats in elections.

Athawale said that BJP should give at least 8-10 seats to him in the upcoming UP assembly election. He said that it would only benefit BJP if it contests along with RPI. He also stated that if AIMIM fields candidates on 200 seats in UP assembly polls, it will benefit the BJP.

AIMIM is currently part of Bhagidaari Morcha, a coalition of 12 small parties. Owaisi, in a statement issued on Monday, said that he would concentrate on building the organization in UP and contest assembly polls with full strength. Earlier there were rumors about AIMIM going into an alliance with BSP for UP assembly polls. Both parties had a similar alliance in Bihar assembly elections held few months back. However, BSP supremo Mayawati ruled out any such possibility and vowed to go alone in the polls.

In a press conference on Monday, Mayawati said that her party is going to form government in UP and those undermining it will be surprised. She said that no one should under estimate BSP.