Battle shifts to Shirdi from Ahmednagar, Vikhe-Patil openly campaigns for Shiv Sena

Vikhe-Patil, who wanted his son to contest from Ahmednagar, had submitted his resignation to the top leadership of the party immediately after Sujay had quit the Congress to join the BJP in March. The BJP had fielded Sujay from Ahmednagar, which went to polls on April 23.

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It was no secret that Vikhe-Patil had discreetly canvassed for Sujay, and on Friday, before officially quitting the Congress, he campaigned for Lokhande.

At the Rahata rally, Vikhe-Patil took the podium to take on Pawar and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat. Hoardings at the rally venue had his picture alongside Lokhande.

Even as state Congress chief Ashok Chavan said that a showcause notice will be issued to Vikhe-Patil shortly, asking him to explain why he had indulged in “anti-party activities”, at a rally in Shirdi’s Shrirampur tehsil on Friday, Sujay claimed that it was only a matter of time before he convinced his father to join the BJP.

However, when contacted, Vikhe-Patil said: “I have neither received any showcause notice nor have I officially quit Congress or joined BJP.”

State Water Conservation Minister Ram Shinde, however, hinted that Vikhe-Patil would soon join the party.

Shinde, also Ahmednagar’s guardian minister, while addressing a rally on Friday, said: “The Congress Leader of Opposition’s resignation has been accepted.

You’ll know where he will go next. Ashok Chavan says he is trying to convince Vikhe-Patil to change his mind. While on the other hand, his son, Sujay Vikhe-Patil, says he will bring his father to the BJP. Now, as the guardian minister, I’ll see who is making more efforts.”

It was only recently, at a meeting of his supporters at Shrirampur tehsil in Shirdi that Vikhe-Patil openly spoke against the state Congress leadership and claimed that the local party unit was working as a private limited company.

He also accused the state leadership of being “totally influenced” by NCP.

On Friday, both BJP and Congress top brass were at Shirdi, holding rallies at Shrirampur and Sangamner.

While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the rally at Shrirampur in favour of Lokhande, party insiders said he also held talks with Ahmednagar Congress chief Karan Sasane (who had quit the party post). Late night, Rahul held a rally at Sangamner in support of party candidate Bhausaheb Kamble.

While the fight is likely to be a close one between Sena and Congress, the entry of former MP Bhausasheb Wakchaure — who was with the BJP till recently — as a rebel candidate, has made the contest triangular.

Shirdi constituency came into existence following delimitation on February 19, 2008. It is one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Ahmednagar district and first witnessed elections in 2009. Its first MP was Wakchaure, then with Sena, who defeated RPI’s Ramdas Athawale. In 2014, he joined Congress and lost to Sena’s Lokhande. He later joined BJP but since he was not given the ticket this time, he is now contesting as an Independent. The BJP has expelled him from the party.

Lokhande may have won the seat riding on the Modi wave in 2014, but many are unhappy with his alleged disconnect with the voters. “He has also failed to connect with party workers and has remained unavailable several times,” said a party insider.

Dr Bhalchandra Kango, national secretariat member of CPI, which has fielded slain rationalist leader Govind Pansare’s son-in-law Bansi Satpute from Shirdi, said Congress here is ridden by several factions — be it the Vikhe-Patil or the Balasaheb Thorat group. Both control the sugar cooperatives in the region.

He claimed there is considerable unrest among the people, particularly the farmers. A couple of years ago, farmers had spilled milk in Shirdi while protesting over dwindling prices.

Another bone of contention is the unequal distribution of water to various villages across the six tehsils of Shirdi.

Both Congress and Sena candidates are busy assuring voters that canals at Nilawande dam would be constructed soon, ensuring an equal share of water for 182 villages in Sangamner, Akole, Rahata, Rahuri and Kopergaon tehsils and the drought-prone parts of Shrirampur.

(With inputs from ENS, Mumbai)