Raigad:Congmen sulk over seat swap with NCP; Antulay backs PWP

The swapping of Raigad Lok Sabha seat with the NCP has not gone down well with the Congress' cadre in the district, which says the decision will have serious repercussions on the party's prospects in the Konkan region.
"Raigad has traditionally been a Congress seat and the barometer of a party's strength is not win or loss, but the per centage of vote share which is substantial," party leaders, who did not wish to be named, said.
"If the criteria to give away the seat was that we could not win it for the last three elections, then there are many others as well. Should we give away all these seats to our ally?" they asked.

According to them, each seat has different aspects and Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) has been a dominant force in Raigad district for the past 50 years, but the Congress presence has never been eroded.
"PWP has held the erstwhile Kolaba Lok Sabha seat for two terms each and A R Antulay for four terms," they said.
"It is wrong to say that Congress could not defeat Anant Gite in Raigad. Gite has represented the Raigad seat only in 2009 elections after delimitation. He is from Ratnagiri and the Congress is weak there.

"Gite contested from Raigad for the first time in 2009 as after delimitation, the district was divided. Alibaug and Pen are with PWP and only Shrivardhan is with NCP," they added.

They said political situation is different in every election and maintained that despite the resentment, local Congress unit will not work against NCP candidate Sunil Tatkare.
"It remains to be seen how he will respond to the Congress workers in the assembly elections later this year," they said.