http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Athavale-slams-CM-an-ally-not-long-ago-on-Mumbai-blasts/articleshow/9288742.cms
Athavale slams CM, an ally not long ago, on Mumbai blasts
Ramu Bhagwat, TNN | Jul 19, 2011, 10.53pm IST
NAGPUR: Not long ago, Ramdas Athavale of the Republican Party of India
was an ally of the Congress-NCP dispensation and whatever these
parties did was fine with him. Now that he has crossed over to the
saffron side by deciding to have political pact with Shiv-Sena and
BJP, he finds everything wrong with his former allies. On Tuesday, he
blamed chief minister Prithviraj Chavan for the latest terror attack
on Mumbai. "The Congress-led governments at the Centre as well in the
state are too busy preserving self-interests and corruption to bother
about people's security," he said.
He questioned Chavan's timing of raising the issue of power sharing
formula between the Congress and the NCP. "The latest Mumbai blasts
once again exposed the chinks in Mumbai police and failure of our
intelligence set-up. But instead of presenting a picture of unity and
concern, Chavan raked up the issue of power sharing and went on to
claim that the home ministry was too important a portfolio to be given
to the ruling partner NCP, thus implying that the Congress could have
handled it better," said the RPI leader.
The former MP parted ways with long-term ally NCP earlier this year
and has plans to fight next elections - from local-self government
level to state assembly and Lok Sabha - with Shiv Sena and the BJP as
electoral partners. "BJP president Nitin Gadkari has invited the RPI
to join the NDA and I intend to accept it. I will be travelling to New
Delhi early next month and talk to NDA convener Sharad Yadav about
it," said Athavale. He said there were chances of the much-hyped Shiv
Shakti-Bhim Shakti pact being sealed in October. The RPI is preparing
its own draft of the common minimum programme. "Namdeo Dhasal is
heading a draft committee and would complete his report in the next
few days after which we will start talks with the Sena-BJP," said
Athavale.
The RPI wants the new political combine to be in place firmly for
elections to 10 municipal corporations and local self-government
bodies in the state likely in February next. "Later, we would extend
it to state and general elections. Some people are questioning how my
party, which has always fought the saffron parties, is now joining
hands with them. To them I reply, in politics nothing is static.
Sometimes out of the box solutions are necessary. History is replete
with such revolutionary moves in politics. Moreover, I am convinced
that the Congress-NCP are not keen on serving the interests of the
Dalits. So what is wrong if I look for other options?" he asked.
"Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar was very keen on a non-Congress
political alliance and had at one stage allied with Hindu Mahasabha
which was a major force at that time. Barrister Khobrgaade had, in
1980, been a close ally of the Jana Sangh," said Athavale, justifying
his decision to go along with the Sena-BJP. "My joining the saffron
alliance does not mean that I am walking away from Ambedkar ideology.
In fact, I want to leverage the new political equation for betterment
of Dalits," he stressed. He also said that the RPI would be made more
broad-based by giving 50% ticket share to non-Dalit candidates in all
elections.
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