Minister Ramdas Athawale, BJP Ally, Says His Party Will Contest Delhi Polls

As the battle for Delhi intensifies, smaller parties and splinter groups are gearing up to make their mark. The Republican Party of India (RPI) president and Rajya Sabha member Ramdas Athawale has announced that his party will field candidates in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

Speaking to the media, Ramdas Athwale said, "The BJP is not giving us any seats in Delhi, even though we have a significant presence there. I will be visiting Delhi tomorrow for a party meeting. We have received 30-35 applications from candidates wanting to contest in Delhi out of the 70 Assembly seats. If any of our candidates win, we will support the BJP in forming the government."

Commenting on the Opposition alliance he claimed, "There is a clear division in the INDIA bloc."

"While the AAP and Congress had an alliance during the Lok Sabha elections, they are now at odds. The AAP has declared that it will fight alone in Delhi, and the Congress is also contesting independently. Although some smaller parties are supporting the AAP, it won't make a significant difference. The INDIA bloc is fractured, in my view," he said.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi has expressed her party's support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi.

"In the INDIA bloc, the AAP is an important constituent. It is the only party capable of challenging the BJP in Delhi, and we have decided to strengthen its hand. Partners of the INDIA bloc have a responsibility to support those who can defeat the BJP. Our fight is to save the Constitution and democracy, and for that, we will back the AAP," Chaturvedi said.

She also criticised the misuse of investigative agencies in Delhi, citing the arrests of Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and others. "We have witnessed how probe agencies were weaponised against AAP leaders. This is another reason we should support the AAP," she added.

Mr Athawale, however, disagreed with Chaturvedi's stance. "The current scenario suggests that anyone supporting Kejriwal will lose this election. The BJP has the upper hand in Delhi because of Narendra Modi's work, which will resonate with the people. This time, they will give the BJP the opportunity to form the government," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)