War of letters erupts between BJP, Congress candidates in Maharashtra's Solapur

In an open letter to Satpute, Shinde urged him to maintain decorum. 'It should remain an ideological fight between the two contending parties with supreme focus on public interest and development…,' the letter read.

Mumbai: Post the announcement of candidates for the SC-reserved seat of Solapur in Maharashtra, a war of letters has erupted between the main candidates - Praniti Shinde (Congress) and Ram Satpute (BJP).

Solapur in Western Maharashtra will witness a direct contest between the two major national parties.

Satpute (36) is a one-term BJP MLA from Malshiras while Shinde (43) is a three-time MLA from Solapur City Central seat.

Shinde is the daughter of veteran Congressman Sushilkumar Shinde, who is a former Maharashtra chief minister and an ex-union minister having handled portfolios like home and energy. He is also the former governor of Andhra Pradesh.

In an open letter to Satpute, Shinde urged him to maintain decorum. “It should remain an ideological fight between the two contending parties with supreme focus on public interest and development…do bear in mind that, in our ideological struggle over the next 40 days, respect is accorded to democracy, take care that social divisions are not created, and concentrate on how we can ensure the overall progress of the society here,” she said.

Satpute, in his open letter said: “What has she and her father done for the people of Solapur, the workers, the industrial sector and its overall growth for all these years. All the development and progress of the district has been taken up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and the BJP governments in the state.”

The open letters coinciding with Holi festivities have soared the political heat in Solapur.