Sangli Lok Sabha Result 2024: Congress Rebel Vishal Patil Scripts Historic Win Despite Contesting Independent

Vishal Patil, a Congress rebel who ran as an Independent candidate, has achieved a decisive victory, winning the seat by a substantial margin. Patil triumphed over BJP's Sanjay Kaka Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Chandrahar Patil.

Patil decided to run independently after the seat, a traditional Congress stronghold in Maharashtra, was given to Shiv Sena (UBT) as part of the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing arrangement. The grandson of Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, Vishal Patil is currently leading against BJP’s Sanjaykaka Patil and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray)’s Chandrahar Patil in this three-way contest.

Sanjaykaka Patil had previously won the seat in both the 2019 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, defeating Swabhimani Paksha's Vishal Prakashbapu Patil in 2019 and Congress’s Pratik Prakashbapu Patil in 2014. Historically, the Sangli Lok Sabha seat has been a Congress bastion, held by the party from 1962 to 2014, spanning 52 years. It was dominated by Vasantdada Patil, a three-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra and a prominent political figure in the state. From 1980 to 2014, Vasantdada's family consistently represented the seat.

In April, Vishal Patil openly opposed the Congress leadership's decision to allocate the Sangli seat to Shiv Sena (UBT). Despite efforts by the Congress leadership to persuade him to withdraw, Vishal Patil chose to continue his candidacy.