Senior Cong leaders did not keep eyes open during seat sharing talks Kadam on Sangli fiasco

Sangli, Apr 25 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress leader Vishwajit Kadam on Thursday slammed ally Shiv Sena (UBT) for snatching the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency as part of a "conspiracy" and said senior leaders from his party did not keep an eye on what was afoot during seat sharing talks .
The Congress wanted to contest from the seat but the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) unilaterally declared wrestler Chandrahar Patil as its candidate, resulting in the grand old party's Vishal Patil filing his nomination as an independent.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) should not expect any help during the Assembly polls later this year, asserted Kadam, a Congress MLA from Palus Kadegaon in the region.
Addressing a party meeting here, Kadam said he tried to ensure the Sangli seat comes into the Congress' kitty, adding that he had ended factionalism in the party in the district.
He claimed Vishal Patil, grandson of party stalwart late Vasantdada Patil, was chosen unanimously by the district Congress for the Sangli Lok Sabha seat and his name was endorsed by the state leadership as well.
"When a wrestler was inducted by the alliance partner, we sensed something wrong was about to happen. Then Uddhav Thackeray comes here and announces his candidate. Does such a thing happen in an alliance," Kadam questioned.
"To resolve the deadlock, I took an undertaking from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress that Vishal Patill will be nominated to the Rajya Sabha and the Sangli seat would come back to the Congress in the next general elections. I had asked Vishal Patil not to contest as an independent," he claimed.
Kadam told Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat and senior leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who were present in the meeting, that they did not keep an eye on what was underway during seat sharing talks.
"I am not accusing you all of handing the seat to the alliance partner but you should have kept an eye on what was afoot," Kadam said, adding he he would continue to work to strengthen the Congress in Sangli.
Speaking on the occasion, Patole agreed he got "trapped in the conspiracy" but added he knew how to come out of the "chakravyuh" (circular war formation meant to entrap an opponent).
Thorat, Patole and Chavan admitted the seat couldn't be taken in order to save the alliance.
Patole said the 'mashaal' (flaming torch symbol of the Thackeray-led outfit) needs the 'panja" (palm symbol of the Congress) to be carried around, adding that his party workers must ensure the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate wins.
The INDIA bloc was formed to unite the opposition, save democracy and protect the Constitution. Thorat said.
The situation was difficult and deliberations took place for three months over one or two seats but the deadlock could not be resolved. Thorat pointed out.
"The party leadership came from Delhi to Mumbai but the allies did not relent," he said.
"The Congress may spring a surprise by winning all five seats in Vidarbha, which went to polls in the first phase (on April19). There is a positive atmosphere for the Congress and Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra. Our objective is to defeat the BJP," he said.
The Congress lost the Sangli seat due to politics, said former CM Chavan, adding that the ideological corruption prevalent in the state has never been seen before.
"The toppling of the MVA government (in June 2022) and the split in the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party had the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Chavan alleged.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)