Athawale-headed RPI (A) demands ministerial berth in Maha cabinet expansion

Union minister Ramdas Athawale said the Republican Party of India (Athawale) headed by him has demanded a ministerial berth in the Maharashtra cabinet whose expansion is on the anvil.

He said the RPI (A) will also demand tickets to contest at least two Lok Sabha seats (out of the total 48 in Maharashtra) and 10 to 15 Assembly segments in the 2024 elections from the NDA quota.

RPI (A) should get a ministerial berth in the next Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra. I had discussed the same with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. I will meet him again. I feel we should also get an opportunity to share power, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice told reporters here.

The expansion of the council of ministers is eagerly awaited among members of the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena. On August 9 last year, 18 ministers were inducted in the Shinde-Fadnavis government after it came to power in June, while as per rules the council of ministers in the state can have a maximum of 43 members.