Upset Over Sangli Loss, Uddhav Thackeray Accuses Congress Of Supporting Independent Candidate: Sources

Ahead of the INDIA bloc meet in the national capital, a dispute has once again arisen between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over the Sangli Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. According to sources, Uddhav Thackeray is reportedly upset with its alliance partner Congress over its loss at the Sangli seat.

The development came after Congress rebel and independent candidate, Vishal Patil, secured a historic win from the Sangli parliamentary seat against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrahar Patil.

According to information received from sources, Uddhav Thackeray has accused the grand old party of supporting independent candidate Vishal Patil instead of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrakant Patil during the campaigning for the polls. It has been alleged that the Congress party secretly helped Vishal Patil on the Sangli seat due to which Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrahar Patil was defeated.

Notably, the loss over the Sangli seat is likely to create a tense situation in the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance in Maharashtra as the seat has been in the news since the announcement of the polls due to the seat-sharing differences between both the parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Except Sangli seat, the performance of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has improved in the state as the alliance has regained its lost ground in western Maharashtra.

Congress Rebel Vishal Patil Wins Sangli

Vishal Patil, the Congress rebel-turned-independent candidate and grandson of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vasant Dada Patil, secured a historic win in a triangular fight from the Sangli parliamentary seat. Vishal won the seat in a closely contested battle against the Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Sanjay Kaka Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Chandrahar Patil.

The Sangli was historically dominated by the Congress party. Vishal Patil decided to contest against the Congress after the party decided to allot the seat to its INDIA bloc alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT).

Following Vishal’s decision to contest, the top brass of Congress tried to convince him to withdraw his nomination, but he decided to contest the polls as an independent candidate.