07 April,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore
Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has snubbed his party’s ally. File pic
Congress leaders have escalated their tussle with the Shiv Sena (UBT) over the Sangli Lok Sabha seat to the high command in New Delhi. Former Minister from Sangli Vishwajeet Kadam said the leadership has given him and party's prospective candidate, Vishal Patil, an assurance that the issue would be resolved two to three days.
The State Congress has protested the Sena's unilateral announcement of its candidate from Sangli, but without much response from the ally. Sangli is among some contentious seats that has created a rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners ahead of the polls.
Kadam told reporters that local Congress workers wished for Vishal Patil to contest this year. "We all know Sangli's contribution to the country's independence struggle, and the Congress party's history here. We are of the strong view that we should not part with the seat," he said. Congress leaders have reportedly suggested to the High Command that a friendly contest be fought if the UBT faction does not budge.
On the other hand, the Sena has maintained that it will not pull out its nominee, Chandrahar Patil, from Sangli, because it has given the neighbouring Kolhapur to the Congress from its quota. Senior leader Sanjay Raut, who has been camping in Sangli for the last two days, snubbed the ally, saying the seat was not with the Congress for the past 10 years. "If Congress was so concerned about its cadre, they shouldn't have contested here from the other party in 2019," he said referring to Vishal Patil, who wasn't a Congress candidate in 2019 in Sangli.
