Congress-NCP starts talks with Raju Shetti

KOLHAPUR

: The Congress-NCP alliance and the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) have finally come to the table regarding seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections.

Considering this development, the SSS on Wednesday postponed its decision to announce a list of 15 candidates.

Raju Shetti

told TOI that negotiations were in progress with some new proposals, which are being considered.

Leaders of SSS and Congress-NCP had a series of telephonic conversations throughout the day. SSS has softened its stand on demand of specific seats and given up its claim on the contentious Madha constituency too, said sources.

SSS sources said that the Congress had proposed

Sangli

seat in western Maharashtra instead of Wardha in

Vidarbha

region for SSS. NCP has shown willingness to give up Buldhana if Congress was surrendering one seat from its quota.

SSS is firm on Buldhana seat, where Maharashtra SSS president Ravikant Tupkar has already started campaign. NCP has maintained that it has already surrendered Hatkangale seat for Raju Shetti.

SSS sources said that they had asked for the Wardha seat for former Shiv Sena leader Subodh Mohite, who recently joined the outfit. Sources said that SSS has considerable influence in Sangli Lok Sabha constituency, which is neighboring to Raju Shetti’s Hatkanangale constituency. SSS also feels that party has better prospects to win Sangli compared to Wardha.

Congress is yet to announce candidate for Sangli but the candidature of Sushilkumar Shinde has been announced for Solapur. In Sangli, the party is divided in two groups and is unable to finalize the candidate, who can take on BJP’s sitting MP Sanjay Patil.

Names of Pratik Patil and Vishal Patil, both members of the late chief minister Vasantdada Patil’s family are doing the rounds. Vishvajeet Kadam, who had contested the 2014 LS elections from Pune, has refused to contest this time. He was elected to the state assembly after the demise of his father and former state miniser Patangrao Kadam.

Congress has already announced Charulata Tokas as Wardha candidate. Congress had lost this seat by more than two lakh votes in 2009. Sagar Meghe was Congress candidate in the last election. NCP is reluctant to surrender Buldhana seat as its candidate Dr Rajendra Shingane lost last election with margin of 28,000 votes. NCP hopes to win this seat this time.


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