By IANS,
Mumbai : Around 15 factions of the Republican Party of India (RPI) Tuesday announced plans to contest unitedly the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections and maintain equidistance from the ruling Democratic Front and the opposition alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena.
Addressing mediapersons here, three leaders – Ramdas Athavale (RPI-Athavale), Rajendra Gavai (RPI-Gavai) and Jogendra Kawade (RPI-Kawade) – said the parties would fight the elections under the banner of RPI since this was the only faction recognized by the Election Commission of India with a permanent symbol of rising sun.
However, the group does not include another important faction, the Bharipa Bahuj Mahasangh (BBM) headed by Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of the late B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constituition.
When asked about this, Kawade said the BBM was not invited because it is not a Republican Party. The Republican movement was started among Dalits by B.R. Ambedkar.
Kawade said: “The meeting decided to keep equidistance from both the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliances.”
The decision to forge a united front came after three meetings between the RPI factions. Gavai said they would soon set up a separate manifesto committee, election committee and a steering committee to propel the “grand alliance.”
Gavai added the united group would attempt to forge alliances with the other Leftist and secular forces and also Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
This is the third time in the past 15 years that an attempt has been made to forge unity among the various Republican parties in the state.