Lok Sabha elections 2024: Wrestler Chandrahar Patil joins Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT)

Uddhav Thackeray. File Pic

Wrestler Chandrahar Patil on Monday joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, Wrestler Chandrahar Patil is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Sangli in the western part of Maharashtra.

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Chandrahar Patil, who has won the state's top wrestling competition 'Maharashtra Kesari' two times, joined the outfit in the presence of Thackeray and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, as per the PTI.

Amid slogans from the crowd about sending Patil to Delhi, Thackeray said, "Chandrahar had asked me to give some hint. I think you people have already decided, then no one can change it now."

"We need to send a strongman from Sangli with a blunt mace in one hand and a flaming torch (Thackeray's party symbol) in the other to Parliament. I appoint Chandrahar Patil as Shiv Sena Lok Sabha coordinator for Sangli district," he said, the news agency reported.

Uddhav Thackeray further said that he would come to campaign in Sangli and asked people to invite him for the victory rally.

Incidentally, Patil's candidature for the Lok Sabha polls was announced earlier by the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which is in talks with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for an alliance.

Uddhav Thackeray's announcement goes against the agreement reached within the MVA last week that none of the constituents would unilaterally declare candidates.

Sanjay Raut, on March 5, had said details of seat-sharing would be announced jointly by MVA members.

The Congress, which is part of the MVA, has won the Sangli seat several times, before the BJP wrested it in 2014 and retained it in 2019.

Meanwhile, Churu MP Rahul Kaswan on Monday resigned from the BJP and joined the Congress. He also resigned as a member of the Lok Sabha, the PTI reported.

Announcing his decision, Kaswan, who was denied ticket by the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party leaders for giving him the opportunity to represent Churu as the MP twice.

"Due to political reasons, at this very moment today, I am resigning from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party and from the post of Member of Parliament," Kaswan posted on X.

"I express my gratitude to BJP national president J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, who gave me the opportunity to serve the Churu Lok Sabha family for 10 years, " he said, as per the PTI.

The BJP had given ticket to paralympic gold medalist Devendra Jhajharia from the Churu Lok Sabha seat in place of two-time MP Kaswan.

(with PTI inputs)