Referring to RPI chief Ramdas Athawale, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said that both the RPI and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena were unhappy with the BJP
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey has claimed that several alliance partners are unhappy in Mahayuti. File Pic/X
Amid growing tensions within the Mahayuti alliance ahead of the BMC Election 2026, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey has claimed that several alliance partners are unhappy with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over seat-sharing arrangements, reported the ANI.
Speaking to ANI, Dubey said that dissatisfaction was not limited to the Republican Party of India (RPI) but extended to other alliance partners as well.
Referring to RPI chief Ramdas Athawale, Dubey said both the RPI and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena were unhappy with the BJP.
He advised Athawale to defeat BJP candidates in constituencies where the RPI was contesting, alleging that the BJP had denied his party adequate representation in the civic polls.
Athawale accuses BJP of sidelining RPI
The remarks came after Athawale accused the BJP of marginalising the RPI during seat-sharing talks for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
He said the reunion of the BJP and Shiv Sena had adversely affected the RPI’s prospects in Mumbai.
Athawale claimed that his party was not included in the negotiations and was informed very late that it had been allotted only six seats.
‘We were ignored in talks,’ says Athawale
Highlighting the RPI’s political presence in Mumbai, Athawale said the party had submitted a list of 26 seats to the BJP and was expecting an allocation of 14 to 15 seats.
He termed the final decision a “betrayal”, stating that the RPI had not been consulted during discussions between the BJP and Shiv Sena.
RPI to contest 28 seats independently
Athawale announced that the RPI would contest 28 seats independently in Mumbai using its own symbol. He said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had informed him that six seats had been allotted to the RPI, but these were not among the constituencies requested by his party.
Athawale said the RPI did not have candidates in those seats and objected to the manner in which the allocation was communicated.
RPI to stay with Mahayuti despite dispute
Despite the disagreement, Athawale clarified that the RPI would continue to support the Mahayuti alliance. He said that apart from 38 constituencies where the party would contest what he described as “friendly elections”, the RPI would campaign for BJP and Shiv Sena candidates in the remaining seats.
He added that the party remained committed to ensuring a Mahayuti victory in the civic polls.
Polling for elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, is scheduled for January 15, with vote counting on January 16.
(with ANI inputs)
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