May 19, 2009 10:26:24 pm
Holding mainly the Congress responsible for the defeat of Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athavale,the party on Monday declared they would contest the assembly elections in the state on their own.
We have not taken the defeat of party president Ramdas Athavale lightly, said M D Shevale,RPI treasurer. Athavale was defeated in Shirdi by Shiv Senas Bhausaheb Vakchoure.
RPI held a demonstration in front of the district collectors office to condemn Congress leaders in Ahmednagar who they claim were responsible Athavales defeat. RPI city unit president Balasaheb Janrao and Latika Sathe led the agitation.
We wont take the defeat lightly and avenge it by contesting the assembly elections on our own, said Shevale. He said the RPI would give a tight slap to the Congress in the assembly elections.
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Congress leaders from Ahmednagar district,Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil,Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Balasaheb Thorat were responsible for Athavales defeat, the RPI leaders claimed. They said the RPI worked hard for the Congress candidates,but Congress workers did not reciprocate.
Sathe has said that if Athavale is not made a minister,the party would launch a rasta roko across the state.
Congress campaign Chief Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil reacted by saying that the responsibility of the defeat was collective. The Congress and NCP workers worked hard for Athavale. All the important leaders held rallies for him. His defeat is shocking for me too and I have taken moral responsibility for his defeat, Vikhe-Patil said.
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