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Journalism of Courage
Earlier this week, Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole rubbed its ally Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) the wrong way when he declared that the Sangli Lok Sabha seat would be contested by the grand old party and named Vishal Patil, the grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil, as the candidate.
Patole’s announcement came despite the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s induction of wrestler Chandrahar Patil, who it said will contest in the same seat. As a miffed Shiv Sena (UBT) said they will raise the matter with the high command of the Congress, grand old party insiders said this was one of the many frictions it is facing in the state.
Congress’s performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha election was by far the worst with the party managing to win only one seat. This time it is rocked with high-profile defections, including that of former chief minister Ashok Chavan and others, even as the party’s internal bickering refuses to die down.
The case of Sangli, an insider said, is a classic one. “The Shiv Sena (UBT)’s candidate has a very fair chance against the sitting BJP MP Sanjay Patil. Vishal Patil has not been very active in the past few years and lost the 2019 elections by a huge margin. Unfortunately, Patole overlooked this and supported him, which rubbed the ally in the wrong way,” said the insider.
Congress insiders also said the continued influence of the old leadership within the party results in the neglect of numerous potential candidates, affecting the party’s chances in the upcoming election. “In seats of Ramtek, Amravati, and Gadchiroli the party could easily win if the right candidates are given tickets. However, the local leadership which includes the District Congress Committees are wary of allowing mass leaders to come in the front. Currently, Congress in Maharashtra is in need of a leader akin to the late YSR, yet the party’s dynamics hinder such emergence,” pointed out another Congress leader.
This feeling was shared by many other leaders who spoke to The Indian Express on the condition of anonymity.
With direct chains of communication between Rahul Gandhi and the second and third-rung leadership also not intact, many in the party feel the Congress would end up with the lowest share of votes among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “At present, many seats can be won if the right candidates who are mass leaders are given the ticket… the party seems to be doing exactly the opposite,” he said.
