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Ex-MP Udayanraje Bhosale's fate hangs in balance as Satara to have LS bypoll along with Assembly polls

Even though Election Commission has declared by-election in Satara Lok Sabha seat on October 21 along with the state Assembly polls, Chhatrapati Shivaji descendant and former NCP MP Udayanraje Bhosale will have to cross multiple hurdles. The bypoll was necessitated after Udayanraje Bhosale, recently quit the Nationalist Congress Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after resigning from Lok Sabha.

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(File picture) Descendant of Shivaji Maharaj Udayanraje Bhosale (L) with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP working president JP Nadda
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Even though Election Commission has declared by-election in Satara Lok Sabha seat on October 21 along with the state Assembly polls, Chhatrapati Shivaji descendant and former NCP MP Udayanraje Bhosale will have to cross multiple hurdles. The bypoll was necessitated after Udayanraje Bhosale, recently quit the Nationalist Congress Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after resigning from Lok Sabha.

However, Udayanraje's fate hangs in the balance as unless and until Shiv Sena leaves its claim over the Satara Lok Sabha seat, BJP cannot nominate him. In 2019 general election, Udayanraje had defeated the Shiv Sena nominee Narendra Patil by a margin of 1,26,528. Interestingly, Patil, who had quit NCP and joined BJP ahead of Lok Sabha election, left it to join Sena and became its candidate against Udayanraje. BJP and Shiv Sena had struck alliance for the Lok Sabha election.

Patil, who is a known Mathadi leader, has already declared that Satara seat will continue to be with Shiv Sena and the decision to leave its claim will be taken by the party president Uddhav Thackeray. BJP will have to do a hard bargain with Shiv Sena as they are currently engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Assembly election.

On its part, NCP chief Sharad Pawar held a well-attended roadshow and rally on Sunday took a dig at Udayanraje and said Satara is the seat of Shivaji's dynasty, which taught Maharashtra about pride and courage. "However, there are some who chose to change the party. In a democracy, everyone has the right to choose wherever he wants to go," Pawar said, without naming Udayanraje. It was Pawar's maiden visit to Satara after Udayanraje shifted his loyalty.

NCP has already started mobilising its cadre and youths in particular to fight the by-election. NCP may field former MP and former Governor of Sikkim Shrinivas Patil or his son Sarang Patil.

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