NCP’s show of strength in Satara to test Bhosale brothers

This rally was a clear indication that road ahead would be tough for cousins Udayanraje Bhosale and Shivendraraje Bhosale, be it Lok Sabha bypolls or Assembly elections

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday showcased its strength in Satara when its candidate and former Sikkim governor Shriniwas Patil filed his nomination for the Assembly elections.

Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday showcased its strength in Satara when its candidate and former Sikkim governor Shriniwas Patil filed his nomination for the Assembly elections. (HT/PHOTO)

This rally was a clear indication that road ahead would be tough for cousins Udayanraje Bhosale and Shivendraraje Bhosale, be it Lok Sabha bypolls or Assembly elections. Udayanraje, Shivendraraje Bhosale defected from the NCP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently.

NCP’s Patil is pitted against BJP’s Udayanraje in Satara for the Lok Sabha bypolls while BJP’s Shivendraraje Bhosale has been fielded against NCP’s Vijay Pawar for the Assembly seat. The NCP in its mega nomination rally attacked Udayanraje by displaying a banner that read “Janata Raja, Sharad Pawar” (people’s leader, Sharad Pawar).

Onlookers who witnessed rallies of both the NCP and the Bhosale brothers, who held their nomination rally on Monday, claimed that NCP’s rally was bigger and better. “I witnessed both the rallies, however, the NCP rally had more supporters than the Bhosale brothers’ rally. From Rajwada to Shivaki chowk, the entire lane was packed with NCP supporters,” said Vikrant Shirke, a resident of Satara.

Shashikant Shinde, Balasaheb Patil and NCP candidate Vijay Pawar accompanied Patil who filed his nomination form on Thursday.

Udayanraje’s close aide, requesting anonymity, said, “It is difficult to predict the result. It is for the first time that both the Lok Sabha bypolls and Assembly elections are being conducted together in Satara. Satara district believes in Sharad Pawar’s ideology. Satara city will vote for Udayanraje, but, in the rural part, NCP will take the lead.”

I am against the BJP ideology: Chavan

Former chief minister of Maharshtra Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday filed his nomination from the Karad assembly constituency. He said that his fight is against the BJP’s ideology and not against any individual. BJP has fielded Atul Bhosale from Karad.