01 April,2024 09:22 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Prithviraj Chavan. File pic
Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Monday said the Satara Lok Sabha seat has gone to the NCP (SP) in the seat-sharing of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the allies will standby the candidate the party fields, reported PTI.
The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). Sitting NCP MP Srinivas Patil, who had defeated the BJP's Rajya Sabha member Udayanraje Bhosale in the byelection in 2019, has declined to contest due to health issues.
Chavan, the MLA from the Karad South constituency, earlier in the day had said that since the Satara Lok Sabha constituency comes under NCP (SP) quota, Sharad Pawar will decide the candidate.
There were several closed door meetings held by NCP (SP) and Congress recently to finalise in whose kitty the Satara seat would fall. Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil had on Sunday met Chavan at the latter's residence in Karad in Satara.
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"The picture of Satara LS constituency is clear. In the seat-sharing process, the seat has gone to the NCP (SP) and we all will rally behind the candidate it decides to field," Chavan said speaking with news channel. "Satara is the "karma bhumi" of Maharashtra's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan and the ideologies of social reformers Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Shahu Maharaj originated here," he said.
However, reports also suggest that Prithviraj Chavan himself may content from Satara constituency and Sharad Pawar has been wanting to bring Chavan in his party fold. However, Chavan has been reaffirming that he would contest from Congress ticket only.
Notably, Chavan represented Satara in Parliament in the 1990s. He was defeated by Shrinivas Patil in 1999 after Sharad Pawar walked out of the Congress and formed NCP.
Meanwhile, the uncertainly looms are who the Mahayuti will field from Satara constituency. It is speculated that BJP may field Udayanraje Bhosale, the descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from Satara. Bhosale has made several visits to BJP top leadership in Delhi amid speculations of his candidature from Satara.
(With PTI inputs)
