Congress Leader to Contest Sangli Seat Against Shiv Sena UBT Candidate

Mumbai: The Sangli Lok Sabha seat has become a bone of contention in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Sharad Pawar led NCP — as Congress leader Vishal Patil filed his nomination. Maharashtra Congress leadership said that Patil, grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil, will be convinced to withdraw his candidature. The Shiv Sena UBT has expressed displeasure and asked alliance partners to honour “alliance dharma”.

As per the seat-sharing pact of the MVA, Sangli seat is with the Shiv Sena (UBT) along with other 20 seats out of 48 Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra. The Congress party is contesting 17 seats, while the NCP (SP) is contesting 10 seats.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Chandrahar Patil, a popular wrestler. However the local Congress leaders have opposed his candidature and insisted that the Sangli seat is Congress’s traditional seat.

No local Congress leader attended the joint MVA rally held in the city on Monday. However, the state leadership clarified that Mr. Patil has not been given the AB from.

Chandrahar Patil, in an emotional speech at the rally, said he is ready to withdraw but wants Congress leaders to declare that they do not want a son of a farmer to succeed in politics. “Our friends in Congress have to declare they do not want a farmer’s son and someone who does not have a sugar mill or comes from a political background to contest,” he said.

Speaking with this newspaper, Congress MLA Vishwajit Kadam said the party has the strength in Sangli district. “We have informed about the sentiments of the party workers to our leader Nana Patole and Balasaheb Thorat. We have informed them about the ground reality of the current Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate in Sangli. I have specifically told them that they should find an amicable solution soon to the problem in the MVA alliance in Sangli,” the Congress legislator said.

Vishal Patil expressed confidence that the party would give him AB form by April 19. “AB form will be submitted to the collector office by April 19,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the seat sharing has already been finalised. “The MVA partners have jointly announced the seat sharing in the press conference. If anyone from any alliance partner is betraying the MVA, it is a responsibility of that party to pacify that individual,” said Mr. Thackeray.