Congress, Sena (UBT) tussle on Sangli LS seat continues; local MLA says will boycott Uddhav rally

Tension prevailed on Thursday between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress over Sangli Lok Sabha seat with the grand old party's MLA Vikramsinh Sawant announcing a boycott of the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit's rally.

Thackeray is scheduled to address a rally in Sangli during the day and has invited his Maha Vikas Aghadi partners, including Congress, to participate. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) has hinted that wrestler Chandrahar Patil will be its candidate from Sangli, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole earlier this week said his party will field Vishal Patil.

"Sangli seat has always been with the Congress. We are of the opinion that Congress should get this seat and we have conveyed it to our seniors. Since the Shiv Sena (UBT) has unilaterally declared its candidate, we will not attend this rally," said Sawant, MLA from Jat constituency.


Speaking on the issue, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said it had ceded Kolhapur seat to the Congress with much pain. "Since we (the MVA parties) are together, we will contest Sangli. I have spoken to Sharad Pawar. We are not asking seats in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand. A regional party will seek seats in its own state," Raut added.