Ludhiana, Sept. 12 -- Republican Party of India (RPI) chief and Union minister of state Ramdas Athawale on Friday said his party was ready to contest the upcoming Punjab assembly elections as part of an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and would seek eight to 10 seats for its candidates.

Addressing the media, Athawale acknowledged that the RPI currently lacked a strong organisational base in the state but said a three-party alliance could be successful.

"The RPI primarily represents Dalits, and since Punjab has the highest Dalit population in the country, a three-party alliance would likely be very successful. The BJP and SAD should come together in Punjab. The RPI, as a constituent of the ND...