Patil may not get a seat to contest from
Shivraj Patil finds himself out of favour in the forthcoming polls, as neither the NCP nor the Congress is willing to let him contest from Marathwada.
Former Union home minister Shivraj Patil finds himself out of favour in the forthcoming polls, as neither the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nor the Congress is willing to let him contest from the constituency of his choice, in Marathwada. Patil who held the Number Two position in the UPA government, lost his home ministry after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. At present, he is unsure about his electoral prospects in the forthcoming polls.
In the past, Patil has always contested from the Latur seat. Following delimitation, Latur has been reserved for a scheduled caste candidate, forcing Patil to scout for a new constituency. According to a senior MPCC leader, “Getting a seat for Patil is very difficult as the options are limited, with the NCP striking a hard bargain. The NCP is not willing to leave Osmanabad, which could have been considered for Patil.” Even the state Congress leadership is not ready to accommodate him at present.
Sources close to Patil indicated that Nanded, which happens to be the hometown of chief minister Ashok Chavan, was another possibility. But Chavan put his foot down, arguing the voter composition at the local level will not make Patil a suitable candidate. A Chavan aide said: “The chief minister has his brother-in-law (and senior leader) Bhaskarrao Khatgaonkar in mind as a candidate from Nanded.”
Patil lost from Latur in the 2004 polls. He is the Rajya Sabha MP. Those supporting his candidature feel if he wins this time, he may be re-inducted in to the Cabinet if the UPA returns to power. It’s no secret that Patil is quite close to party leader Sonia Gandhi.
In the past, Patil has always contested from the Latur seat. Following delimitation, Latur has been reserved for a scheduled caste candidate, forcing Patil to scout for a new constituency. According to a senior MPCC leader, “Getting a seat for Patil is very difficult as the options are limited, with the NCP striking a hard bargain. The NCP is not willing to leave Osmanabad, which could have been considered for Patil.” Even the state Congress leadership is not ready to accommodate him at present.
Sources close to Patil indicated that Nanded, which happens to be the hometown of chief minister Ashok Chavan, was another possibility. But Chavan put his foot down, arguing the voter composition at the local level will not make Patil a suitable candidate. A Chavan aide said: “The chief minister has his brother-in-law (and senior leader) Bhaskarrao Khatgaonkar in mind as a candidate from Nanded.”
Patil lost from Latur in the 2004 polls. He is the Rajya Sabha MP. Those supporting his candidature feel if he wins this time, he may be re-inducted in to the Cabinet if the UPA returns to power. It’s no secret that Patil is quite close to party leader Sonia Gandhi.