Amid objection from Congress, Sena UBT begins ‘Mission Sangli’ campaign

Thackeray faction also urged Congress to give up its claim of contesting from the Sangli Lok Sabha seat

Mumbai: The power tussle between allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over Sangli Lok Sabha constituency seems to be getting intense after Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said his party decided to field wrestler Chandrahar Patil from Sangli district, a stronghold of Congress, which also claimed the seat and wanted to give the ticket to Vishal Patil.

Sangli: Shivsena ( UBT ) senior leader MP Sanjay Raut with party workers during arrive for observation tour in Sangli for Sangli constituency’s candidate in MVA alliance on Friday.Photo by Uday Deolekar Sangli. (UDAY DEOLEKAR)

Amid this tussle, the Thackeray faction on Friday also launched the ‘Mission Sangli’ campaign to woo voters in the district and urged Congress to give up its claim of contesting from the Sangli Lok Sabha seat. Raut, who began a three-day tour of the constituency, said on Friday that the Shiv Sena (UBT) had ceded Kolhapur to the Congress despite the sitting MP being from his party. “We also gave Ramtek and Amravati seats to the Congress. As far as Sangli is concerned, our workers from western Maharashtra wanted to contest the seat. So we decided to exchange the Kolhapur seat with Congress. We as an alliance partner of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are trying to make the Congress candidate as the Prime Minister. So Congress should not claim the Sangli seat,” Raut said.

The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, which make up the MVA, took part in the seat-sharing process and such differences are bound to come up on one or two seats, Raut added.

Congress leaders, including state president Nana Patole and leaders from Sangli like Vishwajeet Kadam, and Vishal Patil expressed their displeasure over Sena (UBT)’s decision saying that Thackeray did it unilaterally and ignoring the claim of Congress on Sangli constituency which is traditionally a Congress seat. Leaders from the Congress did not turn up to meet Raut in Sangli.

“It is the duty of Congress leaders to pacify their disgruntled leaders in Sangli,” Raut said. He also ruled out any possibility of his party withdrawing the candidature due to the pressure from Congress. While responding to Raut’s visit to Sangli, Nana Patole said that Raut has gone to understand the situation there and to get a sense of his party’s strength.

Under the ‘Mission Sangli’ campaign, the Thackeray faction aimed at working on social engineering and established connections with Sachin Sathe- grandson of progressive writer-poet late Annabhau Sathe. Interestingly, on Friday, Sachin Sathe, grandson of progressive writer-poet late Annabhau Sathe, joined Sena (UBT) in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. Annabhau Sathe, an icon of the Matang community, was from Sangli district. The Matang community comes under the scheduled caste.

On Friday when Sanjay Raut reached Sangli for the campaign, Sachin Sathe reached Mumbai with MLC Sachin Ahir and joined Shiv Sena (UBT) in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray and MLA Aaditya Thackeray. “Annabhau raised his voice against any type of slavery and today dictatorship is on the doors. To defeat those powers all like-minded people should come and struggle together. So I have joined Uddhav Thackeray.” said Sachin Sathe.