Union Minister of State for Social Justice and National President of the Republican Party of India (A), Ramdas Athawale today expressed concern that the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra is neglecting the Republican Party despite its significant contribution to the alliance’s nationwide success.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Athawale said that the Republican Party should receive adequate representation in the forthcoming local self-government elections. He insisted that municipal elections must be contested under the Mahayuti banner and that his party should be allotted appropriate seats.

"We expect 17 to 18 seats in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and around 20 seats in the Pune Municipal Corporation," he stated.

He further appealed to BJP’s local leaders within the Mahayuti to hold discussions with RPI’s local units and ensure proper representation. Athawale also mentioned that he will be discussing these matters with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP State President Ravindra Chavan.

Athawale informed that the RPI has already prepared a list of desired wards for the Pune Municipal Corporation and submitted it to BJP leaders, including senior minister Chandrakant Patil and union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol.

He noted that since local body elections are being held after a long gap, the number of aspirants has increased, leading to rising incidents of rebellion. He urged leaders of all Mahayuti constituents to refrain from making statements that could create discord during the election campaign, even though autonomy has been granted at the local level for alliance negotiations.

Responding to opposition criticism, Athawale defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him an inclusive leader. “Despite allegations that Modi prioritizes Hindus, he has taken decisions beneficial to all communities — including Muslims, Bohras, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs," Athawale said.

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the Indian economy is in a “lifeless” state, Athawale said the allegation is baseless. "When the UPA was in power, India ranked 10th in the global economy. Today, it stands at 4th and will soon reach 3rd. The credit goes to the NDA government under Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

Athawale also responded to NCP (Sharad Pawar group) chief Sharad Pawar’s allegation that elections today are driven by money power. He countered that implementing schemes for the poor is both the right and duty of the government. He criticized the opposition for failing to implement such schemes when they were in power, adding that every party has the right to expand its voter base.

Commenting on reports of Amadea Company allegedly grabbing Mahar Watan land in Mundhwa, Athawale said that no one has the right to sell or purchase such land. He claimed that many Mahar Watan lands across the state have been illegally seized. He demanded that the state government form a committee to investigate these cases and submit a report within a month.

He said he will write to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the government to take decisions that protect the interests of local Mahar communities.