BJP offers RS seat to RPI’s Athawale

The BJP has offered a Rajya Sabha seat to RPI leader Ramdas Athawale, whose party forged an alliance with the BJP-led NDA. The decision was taken by BJP chief Rajnath Singh.

Meanwhile, Mr Singh on Monday welcomed Dharmendra Singh — grandson of the late socialist leader Raj Narain, who defeated then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1977 general elections — into the BJP fold. Mr Singh, who holds an MBA degree and works in the insurance sector, is likely to contest from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency. Two other leaders, former BSP MP Rajesh Verma and former SP leader Kaushal Kishore, also joined the BJP.
The BJP central election committee (CEC), which had decided seven names last week for the Rajya Sabha biennial polls, had asked the BJP chief to take a final call on the remaining names. Mr Athawale has been nominated from Maharashtra from where name of BJP leader Prakash Javadekar was doing the rounds.