Chandrahar Patil shifts from Thackeray to Shinde camp

MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray's candidate Chandrahar Patil joined Shiv Sena, citing opposition's unity against him after a poor Lok Sabha performance.

MUMBAI: In a major embarrassment for Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, his Lok Sabha candidate from Sangli constituency, Chandrahar Patil, joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde at Thane on Monday.

Pune, India - March 30, 2024 : File pics of Chandrahar Patil and Sharad Pawar in Pune, India, on Saturday, March 31, 2024. (Photo by Mahendra Kolhe/ HT Photo)

Patil, a wrestler who had won the state championship Maharashtra Kesari, was fielded from the south-west Maharashtra constituency by Thackeray and Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. The two had made Sangli a prestige issue even though Congress was unwilling to part with its traditional seat. Eventually, Congress rebel Vishal Patil won as an independent defeating sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sanjaykaka Patil, while Chandrahar Patil finished a poor third.

After joining Sena, Patil claimed that the Opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had united to defeat him in Lok Sabha. “I didn’t step back. I got 60,000 votes from Sangli. It is not big figure in Lok Sabha polls where people get two to three lakh votes and win. But I got votes amidst bigwigs and leaders from political dynasties,” he said.

Patil’s induction ceremony was attended by minister Uday Samant, MLA Suhas Babar, the party’s secretary Ram Repale, and actor-turned-politician Dipali Syed.

Welcoming Patil into the party, Shinde said: “Today, he has stepped out of a fake (akhada) arena and into the real one.”