Mallikarjun Kharge with Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: In what would give a boost to the Congress campaign ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge would be in Sangli this week, where they would unveil the statue of late leader Dr Patangtao Kadam.
Top Congress leaders of Maharashtra including state Congress President Nana Patole, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiewar and Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan would be present.
Congress Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.) allies - NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray have also been invited for the event.
Dr Patangrao Kadam (January 8, 1944 – March 9, 2018), was an MLA from the Sangli district, had been a minister in the erstwhile Democratic Front government comprising Congress and undivided NCP, and also president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC).
Dr Kadam has also founded Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, an educational empire headquartered in Pune. He was also a big player in Maharashtra’s cooperative sector.
The statue unveiling function would be held at the Sonhira Sugar Factory in Kadegaon, coinciding with Teacher’s Day on September 5.
Dr Kadam’s son Vishwajeet Kadam is a senior Congress leader and calls the shots in the Sangli district.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala, AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy are also expected to be present.
It may be mentioned, in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was keen to contest the Sangli seat, however, Thackeray fielded Chandrahar Patil against sitting BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil.
Vishal Patil who is the grandson of Congressman and former Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, the son of five-time MP Prakashbapu Patil and brother of former MP and central minister Pratik Patil, filed the nominations as an Independent and won the polls. Later, Vishal Patil extended support to the Congress.
The Assembly segments are: Miraj (SC) - Suresh Khade (BJP) Sangli - Sudhir Gadgil (BJP), Palus-Kadegaon - Vishwajeet Kadam (Congress). Khanapur - Vacant (Shiv Sena MLA Anil Babar passed away), Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal - Suman Patil (NCP-SP) and Jat - Vikramsinh Sawant (Congress).