Ramdas Athawale, president of the Republican Party of India (RPI), once again retained his ministry under the new NDA government, even though his party didn’t contest a single seat in Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha election. No matter who forms the government, Athawale—the minister of state for social justice and empowerment—always finds a prominent space in state and national politics. After being sworn in on Sunday, he spoke with mid-day about his ministry, his plans for the Dalit community and how he sees the upcoming Vidhan Sabha election in the state.

Excerpts from the interview…