UBT unilaterally decided to field Chandrahar Patil for the seat without even discussing it with Congress, and an upset Vishal Patil, grandson of former Maharashtra chief minister Vasant Dada Patil, is contesting the poll as an independent.
BJP leaders hope that this infighting in the Opposition camp, along with the Modi factor, will help its sitting MP Sanjay Kaka Patil eke out a win in spite of a strong anti-incumbency sentiment over lack of development and infrastructure in the region. Congress held its sway in Sangli for more than five decades, winning the seat from 1962 to 2009, until BJP’s Sanjay Patil won it in 2014.
Why UBT leadership decided to contest in this seat despite the local Congress leadership’s strong claim is a mystery that senior Congress leaders said they are unable to decipher. UBT Sena does not have a single MLA in the constituency that includes six assembly seats; it does not even have much of a presence in the local body of Sangli. In fact, UBT did not even have a candidate for the seat – it gave the seat to a political greenhorn, former wrestler Chandrahar Patil, the same day he joined the party in March.
- All
- Uttar Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Tamil Nadu
- West Bengal
- Bihar
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Delhi
- Other States
Angered with the move, Sangli Congress leadership has now decided to wholeheartedly back Vishal Patil. Congress leaders are openly campaigning for the rebel candidate even though senior party leaders like Vishwajeet Kadam have been seen on the stage with Chandrahar Patil. The state Congress leadership is aware of the sentiment and has not taken any action against Vishal Patil.