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Vishal Patil banks on Sangli’s rebel tradition, Uddhav expects Cong action against revolt
Addressing a gathering on Tuesday after officially submitting his nominations for the Lok Sabha elections, Patil emphasised the district’s tradition of rebellion
Vishal Patil, the grandson of former Maharashtra chief minister Vasantdada Patil, filed another nomination paper on Tuesday and spoke about the rebellious streak ingrained in Sangli’s political history.
Addressing a gathering on Tuesday after officially submitting his nominations for the Lok Sabha elections, Patil emphasised the district’s tradition of rebellion.
On Tuesday, amidst a show of strength and seeking blessings from Ganpati Bappa, Patil filed his independent nominations, drawing sizeable support from his followers who attended the rally in large numbers.
Highlighting the district’s rebellious spirit, Patil noted that rebellion in Sangli’s politics is not an individual but a collective tradition. He cited examples such as Vasantdada Patil, Madan Bhau, and Ghorpade Sarkar, who had rebelled within the Congress fold. Even prominent Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat contested independently once, Patil said.
Expressing his resolve to stay in the electoral race, Patil hinted at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to withdraw their candidate and grant him the AB form from Congress. He expressed optimism about receiving the AB form by 3 pm on April 19.
Patil said that he had consulted 38,000 Congress workers, with the overwhelming majority advising him to contest independently. Taking a jab at NCP(SCP) leader Jayant Patil, he highlighted his commitment to serving the people despite facing opposition.
Reacting to Patil’s nomination, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, “If there’s rebellion it is the responsibility of the party to act against it. But all I know is people of Sangli will not accept such rebellion.”
Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said efforts are on to convince Patil not to contest the polls.
