Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Rebels are here

Vishal Patil. Pic/Facebook

Sugar belt's Sangli has joined the list of rebellion with a possibility of nomination from Vishal Patil, who didn't get to represent Congress because his party hadn't been able to claim the constituency before Shiv Sena (UBT) declared its candidate unilaterally. Till 2014, the Congress hadn't lost this historic seat. Sangli has given the state one of its finest CMs, the late Vasantdada Patil, and many other towering leaders. Vishal is Vasantdada's ambitious grandson. He enjoys support from the local leaders, who had given an option of a friendly fight with Shiv Sena (UBT), but it hasn't worked out. Uddhav Thackeray had given a stern warning to the Congress to amend its ways in Sangli or break up.

Uddhav had warned Congress to amend its ways in Sangli

He reiterated on Monday that the ‘good leaders' in Congress should convince the juniors in Sangli. Little wonder, then, the Sangli leaders were summoned to meet state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala in Nagpur on Monday. Insider said that the mood in Sangli Congress is upbeat despite being upset over the denial. The local rank and file have vowed to teach ‘detractors' in the Congress and MVA a lesson by making Sena (UBT)'s candidate, national-level wrestler Chandrahar Patil's run extremely difficult. BJP's two-time MP Sanjaykaka Patil makes the fight triangular, and he will be the one laughing all the way to the vote bank, thanks to the division of votes on May 7.

The ruling camp is not devoid of rebellion. In Madha near Sangli, the BJP has lost a strong leader Dhairyashil Mohite Patil to Sharad Pawar's NCP. Mohite Patil chose to be NCP (SP)'s candidate instead of rebelling. The BJP has swung into action to control the damage it sees coming its way. Far from Sangli and Madha, BJP's prospects are under threat in Vidarbha cotton belt's Amravati, where the ruling alliance partner Prahar Party has fielded a potential disruptor. Prahar's candidate is an import from Sena (UBT) Dinesh Boob, who was upset because Uddhav Thackeray handed the segment to the Congress.
When in alliance with BJP, the undivided Sena had Amravati for the past three decades.

This election, the BJP took Amravati and inducted independent MP Navneet Rana ahead of filing of nominations. Rebellion in Amravati has many facets. Boob's candidature is a fallout of animosity between Prahar chief, former minister Bacchu Kadu and Rana. BJP has fielded Rana despite opposition from its local rank and Shiv Sena (Shinde). Known for his unconventional ways of protesting, Kadu is out to prove his nuisance value yet again. This time, his targets are DCM Devendra Fadnavis and CM Eknath Shinde, who hasn't made him minister despite being a member of Uddhav Thackeray's MVA team. His strength is his two MLAs in the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency. It is now clear that not just the Kadu-Rana animosity, but the unrest in both Sena factions has contributed a great deal to make the Amravati contest, one among Vidarbha's 10, very tricky.