Oppn bloc will crumble with Nitish joining NDA: Athawale

LUCKNOW Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday hit out at the INDIA bloc formed to take on the Narendra Modi-led government in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, foreseeing crumbling of the Opposition bloc with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar joining the NDA.
“The INDIA alliance is breaking with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar joining the NDA,” said Ramdas Athawale, national president of RPI and Union minister of social justice and empowerment. He said Republican Party of India (Athawale) will organize a rally in Lucknow on March 4 to gear up the party cadre for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
An ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), RPI will work with the BJP to defeat the SP-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh in the polls, said Athawale.
“To strengthen the Dalits and extremely backward classes, BSP chief Mayawati should join alliance with RPI. She will remain national president of the alliance. BSP leaders and workers should join RPI to spread the ideals of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. If the BJP gives seats to RPI in UP, many BSP leaders, upset with party leadership, will join RPI that has demanded three Lok Sabha seats in UP,” he said speaking at the party office-bearers’ conference organized at Ganna Sansthan auditorium on Monday.
Athawale said: “The party is working to expand the base of RPI in UP and to strengthen the NDA. Office-bearers and workers should motivate people to join RPI. They should also raise voice against injustice and work for the welfare of poor, exploited and deprived communities,” he added.
The minister said RPI leaders are working honestly under state unit president Pawan Gupta and soon the party will emerge as a strong force in UP.
He said the opposition leaders’ statement that the Modi government will change the Constitution is baseless and an insult to Ambedkar.