Lok Sabha elections 2024: Contesting polls from Sangli as Independent to retain Congress' ideology and its existence, says Vishal Patil

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Vishal Patil, a Congress rebel who filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency, has said that he is contesting the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on his own to retain Congress' ideology and its existence in the parliamentary constituency, reported news agency ANI.

Vishal Patil, the grandson of ex-Maharashtra chief minister late Vasantdada Patil, was earlier eyeing a party ticket from the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency, but the Shiv Sena (UBT), a Congress' ally in the INDIA bloc, announced its candidate from the seat.

Speaking to ANI, Patil said that the Sangali seat is Congress' stronghold, but the party 'compromised' with the Shiv Sena (UBT) just to remain in the alliance.

"I listen to the people and the people said that I have to contest. When I entered the fray I never thought that I would contest as an Independent candidate, I was going ahead as a candidate for Congress. I then filled out the form as an Independent candidate. Nothing in writing was given to me from the party and therefore, I do not think that I have disobeyed the orders of my party. I am contesting to retain Congress' ideology and its existence in Sangli," he told ANI.

He further said that the people of Sangali constituency wants to "defeat" the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reported PTI.

"Congress is the only party that is committed to the INDIA alliance. They are ready to make some compromises to remain in the INDIA alliance. This (Sangli) is Congress' stronghold and therefore Shiv Sena is asking for it. Shiv Sena knows that Congress karyakartas have done a lot of work here and there is an anti-BJP sentiment. People here want to defeat the BJP...The question is of vote transferability," Vishal Patil told ANI.

However, hitting back at Vishal Patil, the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from the seat, Chandrahar Patil said that the Congress has been losing the seat since 2014 and is nowhere.

"In 2014, his brother was a central minister, but he still lost. In 2019, it was not Congress' seat...From 2014 to 2024, Congress is nowhere. So how can they claim that Sangli is Congress' stronghold?" the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, reported ANI.

Chandrahar further accused Vishal of contesting the polls at the behest of the BJP.

"There will not be even 1 per cent loss (Vishal Patil contesting as an Independent candidate)...He is the BJP's 'B' team and at the behest of the BJP, he is contesting the elections as an independent," he said, reported ANI.

Notably, there was a tussle within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance over Sangli as both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) wanted to contest the seat. After the Sena (UBT) declared its candidate, the Congress protested.

Vishal Patil is the grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil. He lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which he fought as a candidate of the Swabhimani Paksha, the political wing of the farmer's organisation Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.

Also, Vishal Patil has got a shot in the arm as Prakash Ambedkar has supported him in his triangular fight for Maharashtra's Sangli Lok Sabha seat with sitting BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil and Chandrahar Patil of the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Sangli will vote on May 7 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

(With inputs from ANI)