Ramdas Athawale to meet Shah, Nadda after his party gets no representation in Maharashtra's new council of ministers

Mumbai: Not getting a single berth in the new Maha Yuti council-of-ministers has rattled Republican Party of India (Athawale) founder-President Ramdas Athawale.

This time, Athawale, who is the Minister of State for Social Justice in the Narendra Modi government, was expecting that his party would get at least one or two ministerial berths.

Athawale would take up the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health and Family Welfare Minister and BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda.

Athawale said that he had met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at least 10 times seeking a berth in the ministry. “But in this expansion, we do not have any face from the RPI(A)...We demand at least one ministry in this cabinet expansion,” he said, pointing out that he did not even receive an invitation to attend the swearing in ceremony in Nagpur.

“The Buddhist samaj, Dalit samaj have stood with the MahaYuti but still we were ignored,” he said. “I am upset, my workers are upset, the Dalit samaj is upset…the Ambedkarite movement is upset,” he said, adding that his party people should be accommodated as Chairpersons of the state-owned corporations. “You remember us only in elections…we have been neglected,” he said.