Sena backs Cong candidate in Palus-Kadegaon assembly bypoll

Days after fielding its candidate against the BJP for Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena today announced its support for Congress nominee Vishwajeet Kadam against the BJP in the upcoming byelection to Palus-Kadegaon Assembly seat in Sangli district.

In a bid to corner the BJP, Sena had nominated Srinivas Wanga, the son of Palghar MP Chintaman Wanga whose demise necessitated the bypoll, against BJP candidate Rajendra Gavit, a Congress turncoat.

The tribal-dominated Palghar seat was won by the BJP in 2014.

Notably, Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led Centre and Maharashtra governments, had earlier this year announced to contest all future elections in its own strength.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the party has extended its support to Vishwajeet Kadam as homage to his father and senior Congress leader Patangrao Kadam, whose demise on March 9 necessitated the bypoll, to be held on May 28.

"Patangrao (Kadam) was a big leader in the cooperative, social and education sectors. Seeing all this, the Sena's wish was that the elections (in Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency) should have taken place without any opposition, which unfortunately did not happen," Raut said in a statement today.

"Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has extended his complete support to Vishwajeet Kadam," he added.

The BJP has announced the candidature of Sangramsingh Deshmukh for the assembly constituency, located in western Maharashtra.

Deshmukh is the president of Sangli Zilla Parishad and deputy chairman of Sangli District Cooperative Bank.

He is the son of late MLA Sampatrao Deshmukh and a cousin of BJP's Sangli district president Prithviraj Deshmukh.