'Contesting polls from Sangli as Independent to retain Congress' ideology'

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 ANIVishal Patil the grandson of exMaharashtra 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 seatSpeaking 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 allianceI 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 ANIHe further said that the people of Sangali constituency wants to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP reported PTICongress 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 antiBJP sentiment People here want to defeat the BJPThe question is of vote transferability Vishal Patil told ANIHowever 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 nowhereIn 2014 his brother was a central minister but he still lost In 2019 it was not Congress seatFrom 2014 to 2024 Congress is nowhere So how can they claim that Sangli is Congress stronghold the Shiv Sena UBT leader said reported ANIChandrahar further accused Vishal of contesting the polls at the behest of the BJPThere will not be even 1 per cent loss Vishal Patil contesting as an Independent candidateHe is the BJPs B team and at the behest of the BJP he is contesting the elections as an independent he said reported ANINotably 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 protestedVishal 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 farmers organisation Swabhimani Shetkari SanghatanaAlso Vishal Patil has got a shot in the arm as Prakash Ambedkar has supported him in his triangular fight for Maharashtras Sangli Lok Sabha seat with sitting BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil and Chandrahar Patil of the Shiv Sena UBTSangli will vote on May 7 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024With inputs from ANI