RPI can secure Dalit votes for BJP, enable it to win UP polls: Athawale

New Delhi: Vying to contest in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, BJP ally RPI's chief Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said the saffron party needs his support as it can't come to power in the state without Dalit votes.

The RPI president and Union Minister also announced that he will field actress Rakhi Sawant, who heads the party's women wing, against BSP supremo Mayawati.

Claiming that his party has substantial presence across Uttar Pradesh, Athwale said its support will be vital for BJP to capture power in the politically significant state.

"BJP can't win Uttar Pradesh assembly elections without Dalit votes. RPI can get them these votes. Therefore there should be alliance between the two parties and I will approach and request both BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the same," he said.

Informing that he would be happy with at least 15 to 20 seats from BJP, Athwale said, "If BJP doesn't agree for alliance, then RPI will contest on more than 200 seats, but will continue to be part of NDA."

"BSP has taken our elephant, the Dalit votes in Uttar Pradesh originally belongs to our party. RPI was in power in the state in 1967," he claimed.

"I will campaign in the state and request people that they have given a chance to their sister (Mayawati) now its time to give chance to their brother," the Union minister said.

RPI, which came into being in the late 1950s, has its roots in the Scheduled Castes Federation led by Dr B R Ambedkar.

It has considerable influence among the Dalits of Maharashtra. The party split into different factions. Athawale succeeded in bringing together all these factions under the banner of RPI(A) with the exception of the group led by Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar.