Lok Sabha elections 2024: 3-way tussle in Sangli

Preparations underway at Vasantdada Patil Bhavan in Sangli. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The battle for the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency elections seems to be getting intense as the elections approach, with a triangular fight in the constituency. The official MVA and Shiv Sena UBT candidate, wrestler Chandrahar Patil might have a tough time as Congress rebel Vishal Patil who is also the independent candidate and grandson of late former Maharashtra chief minister Vasant Dada Patil is intensely campaigning in the area.

Sanjaykaka Patil of BJP is the two-time MP from the area and popular among voters. For the third time, the BJP has given him a ticket and he too is campaigning extensively in the area. Recently Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also held a rally in the constituency for the BJP candidate and expressed confidence that the BJP-Mahayuti alliance will win the seat for the third time.

Sena UBT candidate Chandrahar Patil

Chandrahar Patil is a two time winner of the Maharashtra Kesari wrestling championship who joined Sena UBT in March. It is said he was even approached by the BJP and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi party, but he joined UBT faction.

The Sangli Lok Sabha constituency has been a stronghold of Congress and the party has been winning this seat from 1962 to 2014. However, BJP made inroads with Sanjaykaka Patil's win against Congress' Pratik Patil, who is Vishal's brother. In 2019, Congress had left the seat for Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna, but again Sanjaykaka won the seat beating Vishal Patil, Swabhimani's Congress-NCP alliance supported candidate. Sanjaykaka's winning margin had reduced in 2019.

A campaigning vehicle of independent candidate Vishal Patil. Pics/Anurag Ahire

It is said that during the MVA seat-sharing discussions, the Sena UBT gave its Kolhapur seat to the Congress in exchange for the Sangli seat. In March, Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray announced the candidature of Chandrahar Patil as the official MVA candidate. This announcement did not go well with the Congress leaders in Sangli district, including Vishal Patil and prominent Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam, the son of late Congress leader and cabinet minister Patangrao Kadam.

A local Congress party worker from Sangli said, "The majority of the Congress cadre in the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency is not happy about MVA's candidature to Chandrahar Patil. All the alliance partners in MVA, including senior Congress leaders in the state, were aware that we wanted Vishal-dada as our candidate. But still, he was denied a ticket. There is anger among Congress party workers and so we will not work for Chandrahar Patil and will still support Vishal-dada."

Vishal Patil, who is contesting as an independent, candidate is popular in Sangli city. During mid-day's visit to the Congress committee office in the city, we witnessed that there were hardly any workers present. On the other hand, party workers and supporters were seen visiting the Vasant Dada Bhavan adjacent to the Congress office.

Recently, during a Congress rally, Dr Vishwajeet Kadam said that the Congress party in Sangli will follow alliance dharma, despite him and party workers not being happy about the seat being given to Sena UBT. No wonder the Congress high command hasn't taken disciplinary action against Vishal, though a rebel in the neighbouring Kolhapur was suspended from the party for six years early this week.

MVA meeting

NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) state president and leader Jayant Patil, during the MVA meeting in Sangli, told the leaders and office bearers to ensure that their party workers work for a win for Chandrahar Patil and not any other candidate.

Congress leader and MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, NCP-SP MLA Suman-tai Patil, MLA Arun Anna Lad and Shiv Sena samparkh pramukh Nitin Bangude Patll were present during the meeting Balasaheb Patil, a resident of Sangli said, "The Congress leadership should have understood that at the time when senior leaders were deserting the party, Vishal-dada firmly stood behind the party but this is how he was treated. There is anger among people due to this and they will express the same while voting. The Shiv Sena UBT or Eknath Shinde faction does not have much base in this constituency and so this seat should have been given to Congress."

‘Jayant Patil caused issues'

Former Congress MLA Vilas Jagtap while speaking during a rally for independent candidate Vishal Patel alleged that NCP SP leader Jayant Patil was responsible for the politics that is happening in Sangli Lok Sabha. He alleged that along with the help of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Jayant Patil kept the Congress away from getting the claim over the Sangli Lok sabha constituency seat.

In response to the allegations, NCP SP leader Jayant Patil refuted any involvement and dismissed the claims as baseless.

1962-2014
Years Congress held Sangli LS seat