Pune: Junnar Faces Potential Rebellion as Congress Leader Aims for Candidacy: Could the ‘Sangli Pattern’ Repeat?
Reported By Varad Bhatkhande
Junnar, 29th August 2024: For the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections, a fierce contest is unfolding across many constituencies, involving both alliances and individual parties. In Junnar Taluka of Pune District, there are signs of potential rebellion within the Mahavikas Aghadi.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) currently has an MLA in Junnar. Meanwhile, Indian National Congress leader Satyasheel Sherkar has expressed his desire to contest from Junnar. This has led to speculation that a situation similar to the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Sangli might occur in Junnar. Prominent Congress leader and Palus-Kadegaon MLA Dr. Vishwajeet Kadam has hinted at this possibility, fueling discussions of rebellion within the Mahavikas Aghadi.
There are two factions within the NCP: Atul Benke is aligned with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP but has recently been meeting consistently with Sharad Pawar. There is speculation that he might join the Nationalist Congress Sharadchandra Pawar Party (NCP-SP). This has created unease within the Congress as well.
Congress youth leader Satyasheel Sherkar is eager to contest the elections. In this context, Sherkar and Dr Vishwajeet Kadam recently met in Pune to discuss the Junnar constituency. Dr Kadam explained that the “Sangli pattern” will be applied to Junnar, given that NCP-SP has claims on this constituency, which poses a problem for Sherkar.
What Is the ‘Sangli Pattern’?
In the Sangli Lok Sabha Elections, it was decided that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) would contest against the incumbent BJP MLA Sanjay Patil, representing the Mahavikas Aghadi. Sangli has been a stronghold of the Congress Party since the days of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vasant Patil. His grandson, Vishal, wanted to contest from Sangli through Congress.
However, since Shiv Sena (UBT) was given the constituency, Vishal Patil ran as an independent, reportedly with support from Dr. Vishwajeet Kadam. Vishal Patil won the election, defeating both Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrahar Patil and BJP’s Sanjay Patil by a significant margin. If Congress is not given a chance to contest Junnar, a rebellion similar to the ‘Sangli Pattern’ might occur there.
