Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress MLA urges MVA to reconsider decision on Sangli seat, calls it bastion of his party

Vishwajeet Kadam. Pic/X

Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam on Wednesday urged the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to revisit its decision on allotting the Sangli seat for upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), calling the region a bastion of his party, reported the PTI.

The three-party opposition bloc MVA sealed on Tuesday the seat-sharing pact for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, with the Sena (UBT) getting 21 seats and the Congress agreeing to contest in 17 constituencies. NCP (SP) will field its candidates on 10 seats.

The agreement was achieved after the Congress relinquished its claims on the contentious Sangli and Bhiwandi seats, now designated for the Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), respectively.

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Addressing a press conference in Maharashtra's Sangli, Vishwajeet Kadam said that the Sangli region has been a Congress bastion since independence.

"We sincerely tried to persuade the state and central leadership of the Congress to ensure Sangli remains with the party," said Vishwajeet Kadam, who represents the Palus-Kadegaon assembly seat in Sangli district, according to the PTI.

The Sangli parliamentary constituency was a Congress stronghold between 1962 and 2014 before NCP-turned-BJP leader Sanjaykaka Patil wrested it in 2014 and went on to retain it in 2019.

"Congress has merit in demanding the seat as it has elected representatives (from here) in the assembly and has representation in local bodies. The MVA leadership should understand the historical association of the district with the Congress and seriously reconsider its decision on Sangli," Vishwajeet Kadam said, as per the PTI.

Shiv Sena (UBT) has nominated Chandrahar Patil for the Sangli Lok Sabha seat for the upcoming polls.

Vishwajeet Kadam said that the Congress respects Uddhav Thackeray for the way his party is taking on the BJP. "But the sentiments of Congress workers in Sangli also need to be taken into account," he said.

Kadam further said that even though the larger goal of the MVA is to defeat the BJP, Congress workers are upset at the development. Sangli will, however, remain with the MVA, he asserted.

"A lot was said about my silence yesterday (Tuesday) after the announcement of the seat-sharing deal. It takes time to digest unpleasant news. We in Sangli are yet to comprehend what has happened. We hope for a positive solution. MVA should reconsider its decision on Sangli," he reiterated, the news agency reported on Wednesday.

(with PTI inputs)