NCP leader Supriya Sule faints during election rally

NCP leader and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule today fainted during an election rally in western Maharashtra's Sangli district.

She was campaigning for Suman Patil, widow of former Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil, who is contesting the April 11 bypoll from Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal Assembly segment.

The Lok Sabha MP from Baramati in Pune district was in the last leg of her speech when she fainted.

After remaining seated on the stage for a while, Sule, the daughter of NCP President Sharad Pawar, stood up and told party workers that she was feeling "alright".

The Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of RR Patil, who was elected from the constituency on NCP ticket in October last year, in February.

While no other party has fielded candidate against Suman as a mark of respect for Patil, who had cordial relations across political spectrum, there is speculation that some in BJP are covertly helping Swapnil Patil, a youth BJP leader from Tasgaon, who is contesting as an Independent.

Former Minister and BJP leader Ajit Ghorpade, who lost to RR Patil in the Assembly election, recently announced he would campaign for Swapnil, who has been in NCP and Congress in the past.

Swapnil had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Assembly election against Patil as an Independent. He joined BJP last year and has become a close aide of BJP Member of Parliament Sanjay Patil.