Ramdas Athawale today said he wants to contest from Maharashtra Shirdi Lok Sabha seat

Nagpur:

Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale today said that he wanted to contest from the Shirdi Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra but it did not work out due to coercion by certain alliances.

However, Atharwale, a prominent Dalit leader from Maharashtra, told a press conference in Nagpur that his Republican Party of India (A) functionaries asked him to stay in the ruling New Delhi government. Democratic Alliance and demanded a cabinet berth at the Centre.

The member of the House of Federation said he wanted to go to the House of Commons and try to win the Shirdi seat for it.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, leader of the Shiv Sena, has proposed to the party’s sitting MP Sadashiv Lokhand Lokhande secured Shirdi seat.

“So, seat sharing is not possible,” he said.

Mr. Athawale said RPI (A) workers from across the country had asked him to stay in the NDA and for a cabinet post.

The minister said he had discussed the issue with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

Mr. Atawale also said that Congress was spreading rumors that the government would amend the constitution. He appealed to the public to ignore such rumors.

Also on Tuesday, Mr Atawale dismissed the congressional accusations and said he would resign if anyone tried to change the constitution.

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