Athawale Accuses Mahayuti of 'Betrayal' Over BMC Polls Seat Snub

• Union Minister Ramdas Athawale accused the Mahayuti alliance of "betrayal of trust" after his RPI(A) party was sidelined in BMC polls seat-sharing.
• Athawale stated RPI(A) will contest 38 seats independently but support BJP and Shiv Sena in other constituencies.
• He expressed strong dissatisfaction among RPI workers, noting BJP's late offer of 7 seats was not what they requested.
• The BJP and Shiv Sena announced their pact: BJP to contest 137 seats, Shiv Sena 90, while NCP (Ajit Pawar) may go solo.
• Athawale remains open to negotiations for desired seats before the withdrawal deadline, emphasizing he doesn't want to separate from BJP.

Why It Matters: RPI(A) feels betrayed by Mahayuti's BMC seat-sharing, will contest 38 seats but open to talks.