Congress rebel candidate Vishal Patil won from Sangli Lok Sabha seat

Congress rebel candidate Vishal Patil, who had stirred significant attention in the Sangli Lok Sabha seat, pulled off a stunning victory by defeating the BJP candidate Sanjaykaka Patil, the sitting MP, by over one lakh votes. The MVA candidate Chandrahar Patil was not in the running, securing only 60,115 votes.

Congress rebel candidate Vishal Patil had run as an independent candidate

Despite not being officially nominated by the party, Congress workers enthusiastically celebrated Vishal Patil’s triumph. Vishal, a member of the prominent Sangli family of former CM Vasantdada Patil, had to run as an independent candidate after failing to secure the party’s nomination.

Also Read: BJP Tightens Grip, Leaving Congress Breathless in Madhya Pradesh

“Vishal Patil led from the very first round. His lead only decreased in the sixth round, demonstrating his popularity. It’s unfortunate that he did not receive the nomination,” stated Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam.

In the end, Vishal secured 5,69,651 votes, while Sanjaykaka Patil had to settle for 4,69,392 votes.

Kadam had been a leading advocate for nominating Vishal Patil

Kadam had been a leading advocate for nominating Vishal Patil, the grandson of former CM Vasantdada Patil, from Sangli. However, Sena (UBT), an alliance partner of Congress in the MVA, refused to yield.

Sena fielded Chandrahar Patil, a wrestler who remained in the third spot from the start, while BJP candidate and sitting MP Sanjaykaka Patil fell behind in the second spot. Chandrahar Patil received strong backing from Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who personally went to Sangli to announce his candidacy.

Also Read: “Glenn McGrath Challenges Rohit and Dravid: ‘Jasprit Bumrah is Good, But Who Supports Him in Taking Wickets?’”

Kadam made multiple trips to Delhi to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. MPCC chief Nana Patole also supported nominating Vishal Patil. “We fought hard to secure the seat for Congress, but despite our best efforts to persuade our alliance partner, we were unsuccessful. In the end, we were proven right,” said Kadam. Congress sources mentioned that the central leadership even called Uddhav Thackeray, but he remained unyielding.