Mumbai: While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is insisting that its allies field their candidates on the lotus symbol in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls, RSP chief Namdev Jankar on Wednesday made it clear that that they would contest the election on its own symbol.
“We are firm on fighting the elections on our party’s symbol. It is necessary to maintain the identity of the party. If we want to achieve the status of a regional party, we need to contest independently on our party’s symbol. Our party workers also want the RSP to contest the elections independently,” said Mr Jankar.
Mr Jankar had refused to be re-nominated to the Council as a BJP member last year. He had served his first term as a BJP member in the Upper House.
The RSP had refused to contest the elections on lotus symbol. Mr Jankar had contested the 2014 Assembly polls unsuccessfully against NCP’s Supriya Sule from Baramati seat as a RSP candidate.
In 2019, he rejected the BJP’s offer to contest on lotus symbol from Baramati and did not contest the election. RSP candidates had also contested the 2014 Assembly polls on their party symbol.
Mr Jankar said, “I would not speak for other alliance partners, but we will not contest the election on BJP’s symbol.”
Senior BJP minister Girish Mahajan had said the saffron party wants smaller parties to field candidates on the lotus symbol to increase their chances of winning.
Most of the smaller allies, including RSP, Vinayak Mete’s Shiv Sangram, Sadabhau Khot’s Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, Ramdas Athawale-led faction of RPI, are with the BJP in the state.
