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Sanjay Raut perks up ‘friendly fight’ for Sangli
On Saturday, Vishal Patil, the aspiring Congress candidate, wrote a letter to Congress workers saying the party would not cede the seat at any cost
Mumbai: While partners of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state are at loggerheads over at least five Lok Sabha seats, dispute within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over the Sangli and Bhiwandi seats spilled out in the open on Saturday, with Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) trading barbs and the Sena accusing the Congress of playing into the hands of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Though the Congress is keen on fielding candidates in both Sangli and Bhiwandi, Shiv Sena (UBT) has already nominated popular wrestler Chandrahar Patil from Sangli, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has declared Suresh alias Balyamama Mhatre as the candidate from Bhiwandi. The Congress alleges both the announcements were made single-handedly and without due consultation with MVA partners.
On Saturday, while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was touring Sangli to campaign for Chandrahar Patil, Congress leaders from Sangli were in Nagpur to meet the party’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala and urge his intervention in cancelling the wrestler’s candidature.
Vishal Patil, the aspiring Congress candidate, is the grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil. He enjoys the support of the party unit in the Sangli constituency and is backed by former minister and sitting MLA Vishwajeet Kadam.
On Saturday morning, he wrote a letter to Congress workers in the constituency, saying the party would not cede the seat at any cost. Later in the day, Raut took a dig at him, hinting he could switch over to the BJP soon.
Referring to a statement by Vishal Patil last week, saying Kadam was his pilot and he was ready to go wherever Kadam took him, Raut said, “There is a pilot who is trying to take off somewhere with the aircraft. We are concerned that the aircraft should not go of in the direction of Gujarat.”
He also dared the Congress to keep away from campaigning, saying, “If you try to sabotage our campaign in Sangli, you will face the same face elsewhere in Maharashtra. The candidature of Chandrahar Patil was announced by our party chief and it will not be withdrawn at any cost. We are ready to tread forward in the election if you (Congress) decide to not join hands (in Sangli). Congress has no strength here as it had lost the 2014 Lok Sabhs poll with a huge margin.”
Kadam refused to comment on Raut’s remarks on the aspiring Congress candidate. He told HT, “We met Chennithala saheb in the morning and requested him for the intervention of the party’s central leadership. We expect the decision by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in next few days. Congress has its strength in Sangli and we have been fighting to retain it despite all odds. The stand taken by our ally is unexpected. Our state leaders have already submitted an option of ‘friendly fight’ in Sangli. We are waiting for the party’s decision.”
Congress in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala said, “Nobody should pass any personal remarks against leaders from allies.”
The Congress is also upset over the NCP-SP announcing Suresh alias Balyamama Mhatre as its candidate in Bhiwandi. On Saturday, the local unit of the party passed a resolution to field Dayanand Chorghe from the constituency.
“We cannot accept the candidate imposed on us at the last minute. We are firm on fielding our candidate and if not allowed by the leadership, there will be mass resignation by Congress workers,” said Mahendra Gharat, Raigad district president of the party.
In Madha, where the BJP has renominated its sitting MP Ranjitsinh Nimbalkar, NCP-SP is expected field BJP leader Dhairyasheet Mohite-Patil, the cousin of BJP MLC Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil. NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar is also tapping Sanjivraje Nimbalkar, the brother of Ramraje Nimbalkar from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, as a potential candidate. Pawar reportedly had a meeting with both and a decision is expected early next week.
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