VASCO
Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on Friday said his Republican Party of India (RPI) was getting stronger in the State and has plans to contest the upcoming assembly elections in alliance with the BJP.
“We are in alliance with the BJP and though we want the BJP to win, we will ask for at least 2-3 seats in the assembly elections so that the weaker section have their own representative in the State,” said Athawale, while addressing a news conference in the port town.
“During the last elections, we were assured of heading a corporation because of which we did not contest. As of now, we have around 10,000 members and we are aiming for 1 lakh members to make the party stronger in Goa,” said Athawale.
Athavale also said people who are landless and below the poverty line (BPL) must be allotted free government land to cultivate, to enable them to come out of poverty.
“RPI will organise a ‘Bhumi Mukti Andolan’ on February 25 across the country, demanding allocation of 5 acre land for every BPL family in villages and rural areas. This land will be for landless families who will cultivate on it. Goa does not have sufficient land and hence, at least 2-3 acres of land can be given here,” said Athawale.
Athawale said he would write to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
“The Maratha Samaj in Maharashtra is appealing for reservation and I feel that it should be considered. Even the Kshatriya Samaj should get at least 10-12% of the reservation.”
