Congress Reaches 100-Mark In Lok Sabha After Vishal Patil Meets Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhis; Extends Support

Congress rebel and independent candidate Vishal Patil, who achieved a historic victory in the Sangli parliamentary constituency, officially extended his support to the Congress on Thursday. Patil met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi and handed him a letter of support. He was accompanied by Congress' Palus Kadegaon MLA and his partner in this rebellion, Vishwajeet Kadam.

"In Delhi, in the presence of our leader, former minister A. Vishwajeet Kadam, we submitted a letter of support to the Congress National President, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, and accepted the position of associate member in the Lok Sabha for the Congress. I have fought with the Congress ideology and assured that I will continue to work with unwavering dedication to these principles," Patil wrote while sharing pictures of the meeting.

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Patil also met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi at their residence.

Congress has always had deep roots in Sangli, and it is with that sentiment that Sangli MP Sh. Vishal Patil has extended unconditional support to the INC!

Vishal ji met INC President Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji, CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji and Sh. @RahulGandhi ji on… pic.twitter.com/NlbBcXjtTm

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) June 6, 2024

In a remarkable turn of events, Congress rebel and independent candidate Vishal Patil achieved a historic victory in the triangular contest for the Sangli parliamentary seat. Patil, the grandson of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vasant Dada Patil, emerged victorious in a fiercely fought battle against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sanjay Kaka Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT) contender Chandrahar Patil.

Vishal Patil emerged as the winner with 48.9% of the votes (571,666), while BJP's Sanjay Kaka Patil came second with 40.04% (471,613). Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Chandrahar Patil managed only 5.2% (60,860), losing his deposit.

Sangli had been a focal point of political drama ever since the Lok Sabha elections were announced, mainly due to seat-sharing disputes between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), both key members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. A significant number of Congress workers, preferring to remain anonymous, reportedly supported Vishal Patil's campaign discreetly. This support was instrumental in his success, particularly after he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate. This time, however, Patil managed to garner sympathy votes due to the contentious manner in which Shiv Sena (UBT) selected Chandrahar Patil as their candidate.

Apart from the unique situation in Sangli, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) performed well overall, reclaiming its foothold in western Maharashtra, a region historically dominated by leaders such as Sharad Pawar. Pawar's influence in the region had been diminishing since 2014, making this resurgence significant for the MVA.

The seat-sharing negotiations between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) were marked by prolonged disputes, especially over the Sangli seat. For weeks, the two parties were locked in a tussle, with Shiv Sena (UBT) ultimately nominating wrestler Chandrahar Patil as their candidate unilaterally. Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam had even appealed to the party's central leadership to allow Vishal Patil to contest from Sangli, but his efforts were in vain as Shiv Sena (UBT) prevailed in the decision-making process.