Sangli Floods, migration for jobs and lack of development projects are the key issues in Maharashtra's Sangli parliamentary constituency as it heads towards an interesting contest where a rebel Congress leader takes on the party's MVA alliance partner Shiv Sena (UBT). Have been.
What should have been a two-way fight between the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) is now a triangular one. BJP has again fielded its sitting MP Sanjaykak Patil to take on Chandrahar Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT). But rebel Congress leader Vishal Patil, a constituent of Maha Vikas Aghad (MVA), is contesting the election as an independent.
The constituency in the state's sugar belt includes Miraj, Sangli, Khanapur, Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal, Jath and Palus-Kadegaon assembly constituencies.I will vote in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 7.
The Congress was keen to contest the seat, but when the seat went to the Sena (UBT) as part of the seat-sharing arrangement between alliance partners, Vishal Patil, grandson of former chief minister late Vasantdada Patil, entered the fray on his own. Get down.
The family of the former Chief Minister enjoys support in the Sangli region. His elder son Prakash Patil is a former MP and his grandson Prateek Patil served as a minister of state in the Manmohan Singh government.
Vishal Patil claimed that local Congress leaders and workers support him and want him to contest the elections despite the party leadership promising to support the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate."This fight is for our survival. Congress has been their dominant party but still, we were not allowed to contest elections from here. Instead, the seat was given to our alliance partner Sena (UBT). Our party workers He believes that if the Congress wants to keep me alive here, then someone from the oldest party will have to contest the elections and they have chosen me.
The Congress leader said, this election fight is one of "self-respect" and "asmita (pride and our identity)" of Sangli.Wrestler-turned-politician Chandrahar Patil said his party and MV's other constituents Congress and NCP (SP) provide strength to each other.
He said, "There is no place where all three parties are strong. Somewhere one is strong and somewhere else one is weak. Together we will fight the elections 100 per cent."
Locals say there is a lack of employment opportunities in the constituency, due to which thousands of people migrate to cities like Mumbai and Pune for work.He said that floods located in the Krishna sub-basin have also become a major issue here.
In the 2019 monsoon, Sangli and neighboring Kolhapur district experienced the worst flooding in the region. They were also affected by floods in 2020 and 2021.
Sangli, once a Congress stronghold, has seen the rise of the BJP in the last decade with the addition of MP Sanjaykaka Patil.
The Sangli seat was held by Vasantdada Patil's family from 1980 to 2014.Congress fielded Prateek Patil as its candidate in 2014 but he lost to Sanjaykaka Patil. In 2019, Congress allowed Vishal Patil to contest elections on Swabhimani Paksha's election symbol, but he was unsuccessful.
In the last elections in Sangli, Sanjaykaka Patil got more than 5 lakh votes, while Vishal Patil got 3.4 lakh votes. The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchi Bahujan Aghadi candidate stood third with around 3 lakh votes.
When the BJP once again nominated him, Sanjaykaka Patil said that funds were released by the Center for an irrigation project and it has been completed."Now, a tender has been issued to extend the project over the next one and a half years. National highways have also been constructed. If any big government project comes here, the issues related to jobs will be resolved," he said. ,
Apart from several sugar factories, including the huge Vasantdad Shetkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, Sangli is also a trading center for grapes, raisins, spices and turmeric.
Srikanth said, “In the last four to five years, turmeric prices had fallen to Rs 6,000-7,00 per quintal.With fewer farmers growing it, prices have now gone up to Rs 17,000 to Rs 22,000 per quintal. Turmeric farmers are happy," said Marda, president of an association of turmeric traders in Sangli.
The constituency, which has 1,830 polling stations, has 18,65,960 registered voters - 9,52,005 men, 9,13,843 women and 11 from the third gender category.
Lok Sabha elections for 48 seats in Maharashtra are being held in five phases from April 19 to May 20 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4.Assembly elections are to be held in the state later this year.
What should have been a two-way fight between the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) is now a triangular one. BJP has again fielded its sitting MP Sanjaykak Patil to take on Chandrahar Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT). But rebel Congress leader Vishal Patil, a constituent of Maha Vikas Aghad (MVA), is contesting the election as an independent.
The constituency in the state's sugar belt includes Miraj, Sangli, Khanapur, Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal, Jath and Palus-Kadegaon assembly constituencies.I will vote in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 7.
The Congress was keen to contest the seat, but when the seat went to the Sena (UBT) as part of the seat-sharing arrangement between alliance partners, Vishal Patil, grandson of former chief minister late Vasantdada Patil, entered the fray on his own. Get down.
The family of the former Chief Minister enjoys support in the Sangli region. His elder son Prakash Patil is a former MP and his grandson Prateek Patil served as a minister of state in the Manmohan Singh government.
Vishal Patil claimed that local Congress leaders and workers support him and want him to contest the elections despite the party leadership promising to support the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate."This fight is for our survival. Congress has been their dominant party but still, we were not allowed to contest elections from here. Instead, the seat was given to our alliance partner Sena (UBT). Our party workers He believes that if the Congress wants to keep me alive here, then someone from the oldest party will have to contest the elections and they have chosen me.
The Congress leader said, this election fight is one of "self-respect" and "asmita (pride and our identity)" of Sangli.Wrestler-turned-politician Chandrahar Patil said his party and MV's other constituents Congress and NCP (SP) provide strength to each other.
He said, "There is no place where all three parties are strong. Somewhere one is strong and somewhere else one is weak. Together we will fight the elections 100 per cent."
Locals say there is a lack of employment opportunities in the constituency, due to which thousands of people migrate to cities like Mumbai and Pune for work.He said that floods located in the Krishna sub-basin have also become a major issue here.
In the 2019 monsoon, Sangli and neighboring Kolhapur district experienced the worst flooding in the region. They were also affected by floods in 2020 and 2021.
Sangli, once a Congress stronghold, has seen the rise of the BJP in the last decade with the addition of MP Sanjaykaka Patil.
The Sangli seat was held by Vasantdada Patil's family from 1980 to 2014.Congress fielded Prateek Patil as its candidate in 2014 but he lost to Sanjaykaka Patil. In 2019, Congress allowed Vishal Patil to contest elections on Swabhimani Paksha's election symbol, but he was unsuccessful.
In the last elections in Sangli, Sanjaykaka Patil got more than 5 lakh votes, while Vishal Patil got 3.4 lakh votes. The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchi Bahujan Aghadi candidate stood third with around 3 lakh votes.
When the BJP once again nominated him, Sanjaykaka Patil said that funds were released by the Center for an irrigation project and it has been completed."Now, a tender has been issued to extend the project over the next one and a half years. National highways have also been constructed. If any big government project comes here, the issues related to jobs will be resolved," he said. ,
Apart from several sugar factories, including the huge Vasantdad Shetkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, Sangli is also a trading center for grapes, raisins, spices and turmeric.
Srikanth said, “In the last four to five years, turmeric prices had fallen to Rs 6,000-7,00 per quintal.With fewer farmers growing it, prices have now gone up to Rs 17,000 to Rs 22,000 per quintal. Turmeric farmers are happy," said Marda, president of an association of turmeric traders in Sangli.
The constituency, which has 1,830 polling stations, has 18,65,960 registered voters - 9,52,005 men, 9,13,843 women and 11 from the third gender category.
Lok Sabha elections for 48 seats in Maharashtra are being held in five phases from April 19 to May 20 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4.Assembly elections are to be held in the state later this year.
