With Ahmednagar seat in mind, Vikhe-Patil meets Sonia, Rahul

While the NCP has been contesting the seat since 1999, Congress veteran and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil’s son Sujay, has announced that he wants to contest the seat.

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On Monday, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil met Rahul and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

Allies Congress and NCP were on Monday huddled in a meeting as a last-ditch measure for a consensus over the Ahmednagar seat, which has become a bone of contention between the two parties.

While the NCP has been contesting the seat since 1999, Congress veteran and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil’s son Sujay, has announced that he wants to contest the seat. With the NCP unwilling to concede the seat to the Congress, Sujay has even opened a channel of communication with the BJP. Sources said Sujoy is likely to join the BJP on Tuesday.

On Monday, Radhakrishna met Rahul and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to discuss the issue. With his own position in the party at stake, sources said that Radhakrishna held discussions with the Gandhis regarding a proposal of letting Sujay contest on an NCP ticket.

Meanwhile, amid reports that Sujay is set to join the BJP, the supporters of Dilip Gandhi, the BJP MP from Ahmednagar, on Monday expressed reservations against the party giving Sujay the ticket from the constituency.

At a meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai, a few supporters of the MP raised the issue. “We are not against Sujay Vikhe-Patil joining the BJP. But he should be made to work for five years. The decision to give him ticket should be taken after he works for the party,” said a party worker.

BJP state president Raosaheb Danve was present at the meeting.

A senior BJP leader said, “Around four to five workers loyal to Dilip Gandhi raised the issue. Their demand was that Dilip Gandhi, who is the sitting MP, should be considered for the ticket this time and that Sujay Vikhe-Patil should be given the ticket in the next Lok Sabha elections.”

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A party leader added, “The state unit decides on candidates after weighing all pros and cons.” The decision to induct Sujay in the BJP and give him the ticket from Ahmednagar was taken by the state leadership in consultation with BJP national president Amit Shah, he claimed.