Former Congress Leader Vishal Patil Extends Support to Congress in Maharashtra

Former Congress leader Vishal Patil, currently serving as an Independent Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra, announced his decision to extend support to the Congress party. Patil, who secured victory in the Sangli Lok Sabha seat, met with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi to formalize his support.

Having a strong political lineage, as the grandson of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, Vishal Patil had initially contested the Lok Sabha elections independently after the Sangli seat was allocated to the Shiv Sena-UBT within the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi coalition. His support now adds to the Congress’ strength in the parliament.

Patil expressed his gratitude towards the people of Maharashtra for recognizing the Congress ideology through their votes, emphasizing the influence of stalwarts like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, and Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar in fighting for social justice, equality, and freedom.

In a testament to his deep-rooted connection with the Congress party, Patil also sought blessings from former party presidents, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal hailed Patil’s decision as a move that upholds the legacy of Congress stalwart Vasantdada Patil.

Patil’s family has a longstanding association with the Congress, with his father, Prakashbapu Patil, being a five-term Lok Sabha MP from Sangli. Following the passing of Prakashbapu in 2005, his son Pratik Patil took over the Sangli seat, later announcing retirement from politics, paving the way for Vishal’s entry.