Cong-NCP denies RS seat to Athavale

Mumbai: The Congress-NCP has denied the Rajya Sabha (RS) ticket to Republican Party of India (RPI-A) leader Ramdas Athavale, thus giving the opposition a chance to woo him to their side ahead of the October assembly polls. Athavale who is closely identified with Sharad Pawar was expecting the RS ticket from NCP
Shiv Sena is already trying to mend fences with Athavale expecting to exploit the dalit vote bank. The RPI(A) is the main dalit party in the state. Of the total 10.5% dalits, the RPI(A) enjoys the support of 6%. The Congress which has always banked on dalit support is now trying to figure out ways to mollify Athavale.
A disappointed Athavale tried to underplay the developments. "I had set conditions that Rajya Sabha (MP) should be followed with my induction as a union cabinet minister in the UPA government. Just giving me a RS ticket was meaningless. In 2004, I was promised a ministerial berth at the Centre which remains unfulfilled till date," he said.
Union minister for heavy industries Vilasrao Deshmukh filed the nomination for the RS as Congress candidate. The NCP candidates are general secretary Govindrao Adhik and Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil. Ranjitsinh is the son of senior NCP minister for rural development Vijaysinh Mohite Patil.
The bye-elections for three Rajya Sabha seats will take place on August 10. The elections were necessitated following the vacancies by union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, union civil aviation minister Praful Patel and Supriya Sule (MP). As per the existing vacancies, one seat belongs to the Congress and two to NCP. The state Congress expected the NCP to accommodate Athavale from its quota. The NCP decision has irked the Congress.