Ramdas Athawale has been re-elected as the president of the Republican Party of India (A). This occurred at a party convention held in New Delhi. Athawale, a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, has been president of the RPI(A) since 1999.

In his address to party workers, Athawale outlined his vision for the party's future. A key goal is to elevate the RPI(A) to the status of a national party within the next five years. He emphasized the importance of working for the welfare of marginalized communities, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, the poor, farmers, laborers, and women. He urged party workers to strengthen the organization at the city and state levels.

Ramdas Athawale's political career spans several decades. He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1990 to 1996, also serving as a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government from 1990 to 1995. He has also been a Member of Parliament, representing Mumbai North Central in the 12th Lok Sabha (1998-1999) and the Pandharpur constituency in the 13th and 14th Lok Sabhas (1999-2009). Since 2014, he has been a member of the Rajya Sabha. Currently, he is the Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, a position he has held since 2016.

The Republican Party of India (A) is a splinter group of the Republican Party of India, with roots in the Scheduled Castes Federation led by B. R. Ambedkar. In 2011, the RPI(A) aligned itself with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).