High fuel prices will affect NDA in 2019: Athawale

Nagpur: High fuel prices, if not contained, are likely to impact NDA in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, according to Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale. Addressing the media on the eve of Dhammachakra Pravartan Din, the day when BR Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with lakhs of followers, Athawale expressed concerns over rising fuel prices saying, “if it keeps going up then during elections we will be adversely impacted”.
Athawale, however, was confident the problem will be resolved soon. “There are about six months remaining for the polls and government will take decisive steps to bring down prices. In the next NDA meeting I will propose that fuel be brought under GST, which will reduce the price of petrol by at least Rs20,” he said.

Athawale added the Centre needed to make provision for revenue sharing with state if fuel was brought under GST. “The centre will rake in all the taxes and state won’t get anything. There must be a mechanism to distribute the taxes collected in a fair manner,” he said.

Fully aware of the local issues, Athawale pulled out the ‘Vidarbha’ card, as it happens before elections. “In the NDA meet, I will suggest statehood be granted to Vidarbha as not only was Babasaheb in favour of smaller states but also it is on the agenda of BJP,” he said. Questioned about timeline, he said “It won’t happen in 2019. Once Modi comes back to power with 300 plus seats, then by 2024 Vidarbha will get statehood,” he said.

Athawale also expressed his desire to contest the Lok Sabha elections. “I still have 18 months left in my Rajya Sabha tenure but I will contest from Mumbai. Regardless of the tie-up between BJP and Shiv Sena, we will demand three seats of which I will contest one” he added.