UP Assembly Elections: Rakhi Sawant Vs Mayawati

RPI chief Ramdas Athawale has claimed that Bollywood actress Rakhi Sawant would take on the former UP Chief Minister Mayawati in the upcoming UP Assembly Elections.

Expressing her willingness to contest in the UP Assembly election, Sawant said, “Athawaleji is like my father and I am ready to follow whatever decision he takes about me. If he wants me to contest against Mayawati in UP, I will do it,” she said.

As Rakhi Sawant is not registered as a voter in Uttar Pradesh, she will need to contest the UP Polls as a Parachute Candidate. Parachute Candidate is one who doesn't live in the state and has little connection to the area he or she is contesting from.

Rakhi is also hopeful that BJP and RPI would form an alliance so that she can  campaign for both the parties in the UP assembly polls. “I have full confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has made Athawaleji a minister in the Union Cabinet. We are in alliance at Centre, so will fight together in UP too,” she said.

It is to be noted that this is a provocative move by RPI to entice Mayawati into contesting the polls, as she hasn't fought elections in recent years. Rakhi Sawant is RPI's Women's Wing President.

Rakhi Sawant had formed her own party viz. Rashtriya Aam Party (RAP) in 2014 and when she competed for a Lok Sabha seat, she managed to secure only 1,995 votes in 2014.