By Shiva Thorat, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Ramdas Bandu Athavale, 57, president of the Republican Party of India (Athavale fraction) and Rajya Sabha MP nominated by the BJP from Maharashtra, took oath as a minister of state in the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to a leading Marathi Newspaper Loksatta, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis put forward the names of Ramdas Athavale and Dr. Subhash Bhamare for the posts of MoS in the NDA government.
Ramdas Athvale is a founder member of Dalit Panther group of Bombay. He is known to survive the Dalit Panther in the time of emergency period and inner dilemmas of the members.
With upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Athavale is expected to help in vote transformation of Dalits, who form about 16% of the population in Mumbai, in favour of BJP candidates in the BMC polls.
Athavale had earlier served as a social welfare minister in the Narasimha Rao government between 1990 and 1995.
Dr. Subhash Bhamre, who had quit Shiv Sena in the time of election of 2014 to fight on a BJP ticket, is another leader who took oath as a Minister of State. Bhamre, who is considered to be a strong leader from the Maratha community, is an MP from Khandesh (North Maharashtra).
By nominating one Maratha leader and one Dalit leader from Maharashtra, the BJP, both at the Centre and the state, is attempting to keep leaders of all communities happy. How far this move goes in delivering results remains to be seen.