RPI to "boycott" State by-elections

NAGPUR, May 24: Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Prakash Ambedkar, today announced that his party would “boycott” the forthcoming by-elections from Maharashtra, saying that the Congress with which it had allied earlier had closed its doors.

Ambedkar told newsmen here his party was “ready” for a tie-up but said the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had “made it clear that they did not want any alliance”. He said the Maharashtra unit of the Congress was keen on a tie-up, specially as the Congress had made impressive gains in Maharashtra using RPI support. “It is the Congress which has closed the doors, not the RPI. Why should we be concerned about the future of that party,” he said when asked if the break up would not have an adverse effect on the Congress prospects. The party has taken the decision to remain “neutral” at a meeting of leading activists of the Ambedkarite movement held on May 14 at Pune, he said and claimed that the directives of the party leaders would be followed by 80 to90 per cent of Dalit voters. Ambedkar said even if the party did not issue a “directive” on the matter it would not be of much consequence implying that the intentions of the leaders would be followed by the people.

Asked to elaborate on what he meant by remaining neutral, Ambedkar, who is RPI Member of Parliament, said party voters would not vote for any candidate who did not belong to RPI. As the RPI is not fielding any candidate of its own for any of the 10 seats facing by-elections next month it would amount to “boycott” of the polls, even as Ambedkar used the word “abstain” from the elections. Ambedkar, a contender for RPI presidentship, said no decision had yet been taken on the party elections ordered by the Election Commission to be held within two months of the Lok Sabha polls.