Journalism of Courage
With no star campaigner or even state level leaders of the Congress to seek votes for him, Patangrao Kadam is slugging it out on his own in his constituency in Sangli.
The Former Forest and Rehabilitation and Relief Minister’s “door-to-door campaign” has only his son to help him, while main rival Prithviraj Deshmukh, contesting as a BJP candidate has had Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a rally for him.
Party President Sonia Gandhi visited Kolhapur but did not address any rally in Sangli.
Even state level leaders of the Congress are not campaigning for Kadam. The Chief Minister is campaigning mostly in his own constituency.
Congress leaders do not rule out chances of Kadam “saheb” and are looking to benefit from a division of votes by a rebel from Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS) contesting independently.
“Saheb is taking on former NCP rebel Prithviraj Deshmukh and party watchers say Deshmukh’s invisibility in the constituency and rebellion in the opposition might help him,” said some leaders of the party.
“In Karad and Kolhapur South the CM is campaigning for Satej Patil. The CM has not yet visited this constituency and even as Congress leader Narayan Rane was to campaign, the dates have not been confirmed,” said a Congress leader.
Rajoba, the rebel from SSS, BJP’s alliance partner, would make a dent in Deshmukh’s voteshare, said Congress leaders.
Ater Deshmukh moved from the NCP, leaders who joined the BJP along with him are banking on Modi. “One cannot deny the Modi wave… it is interesting to note there are nearly 70 candidates from Congress who have moved to BJP,” said a leader who joined the BJP.
Kadam contested as an independent candidate in 1985 and followed it up with a Congress ticket in the 1990s and dominated all elections from 1999 onwards.
