Is Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil helping his BJP nominee son

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, is giving a tacit support to his son Sujay, who is the BJP contestant from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat, sources have said.

The Vikhe Patil senior is working behind the curtains, they said, adding that the Congress leader is in touch with the supporters of his father late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil in Rahuri, Parnerand other areas in Ahmednagar district, and exhorting them to support Sujay.

"He is supporting Sujay in his role as a father," they said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who has been a traditional opponent of the Vikhe Patils, has made the Ahmednagar contest a prestige battle.

Pawar had refused to vacate the constituency, which is with the NCP as per the seat-sharing deal with the Congress, for Sujay who eventually joined the BJP.

The constituency is divided into pro and anti-Sujay camps.

According to sources, some Congress workers who are close to Sujay consider him as a political strategist for working to ensure that his father won the assembly elections in 2014. Sujay also played an important role in Zilla Parishad elections held in 2017.