Athawale has also offered Mayawati to lead his party.
In a bid to keep the BSP away from Samajwadi Party, the Republican Party of India (RPI) President Ramdas Athawale has offered BSP Supremo Mayawati to head his party and a berth in Narendra Modi Cabinet, if she joins the NDA for the larger interest of Dalits in the country.
Speaking in Badaun, Athawale said that he will talk to Mayawati and senior BSP leaders on the offer. “We both are working for uplift of Dalits. I offer Mayawati to lead my party (read RPI) and join the NDA. She will get a berth in the Modi Cabinet to take the forward Dalit welfare agenda of the NDA government,” offered Athawale.
Calling the BSP-SP alliance ‘unnatural’, the RPI Chief pointed that both the political parties were arch rivals in Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that Yadavs of the Samajwadi Party were the main perpetrators of Dalit atrocities in the state. “Going with SP will never help Mayawati safeguard interests of Dalits. She should join the NDA to serve Dalits and bring them to the mainstream of the society,” said he.
Athawale claimed that Modi government was ‘pro-Dalit’ and it has launched many schemes for the welfare of Dalits and the poor. “Modi government always championed the cause of Dalits. It has also filed a petition for the review of Supreme Court order on SC/ST Act,” he pointed out.
“Rahul Gandhi is no match to Modi. The NDA will return to power in 2019 even if all opposition parties come together. A few may leave NDA but many more would join it to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister again due to its pro-poor policies and programs,” predicted the RPI Chief.
During his two-day Lucknow visit recently, Athawale has made an offer to the BSP Supremo Mayawati to join the NDA. The RPI Chief also sent a message to the BSP Supremo for a meeting through his one of his close confidante. But the BSP supremo has not yet opened her cards or shown any interest in joining the NDA. In Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati had formed government thrice with the help of the BJP. But, each time, the two political parties parted on a bitter note.
Now with BSP deciding to form an alliance with the SP in Uttar Pradesh for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is jittery about its poll prospects, particularly after humiliating defeats in Gorakhur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-polls at the hands of the BSP-supported SP candidates.
The BJP has entrusted Athawale with the task of exploring the possibility of bringing the BSP into the NDA fold to make its Mission 2019 successful in Uttar Pradesh, where the party had won 73 seats along with coalition partners in 2014 elections.
The BJP is already facing an ‘anti-Dalit’ wave after four of its Dalit MPs from Uttar Pradesh raising a banner of revolt against the Modi government. Party’s frantic efforts are either to bring Mayawati to NDA fold or keep BSP away from the Samajwadi Party.
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