BJP foiling RPI unity: Athavle

Launching a scathing attack against Ambedkar he said the latter had got Raja Dhale elected as the chief of the RPI presidium without consent from the other seven presidium members. The Election Commision has been informed about this, Athavle added.

About five to six lakh Dalits would be attending a national rally of the party in Pune on December 26 and 27 which, he said, would be a true show of strength.

On continuing the alliance with the Congress, Athawale said it was under consideration.

The RPI8217;s alignment with the Congress was accepted by all the factions, even by Ambedkar group, Athawale said. He claimed that Ambedkar and the BJP leaders were openly propagating that without a split in the RPI, the Sena-BJP allaince could not fight the Congress in the State.

Athawale further charged Ambedkar with endeavouring to engineer a split in the party after his ambitions to be the party president were foiled.

Talks were on with Congress president Sonia Gnadhi and Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders on seat-sharing in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. The party has demanded ten seats in Rajasthan, six in Delhi and 30 in MP, Athawale said adding that there was no positive response from the Congress. The RPI would contest the assembly elections in the four northern states, if no electoral alliance was struck with the Congress, he added.

Earlier, the rally demanded a probe into the assets of Sangli district guardian minister Anna Dange whom the RPI charged has ammassed extensive wealth and the alleged corruption in Krishna valley.