A day after having defended Rahul Gandhi for voicing Prime Ministerial ambition, the ruling Shiv Sena on Thursday sprang another surprise by extending its “active” support to the Congress candidate Vishwajeet Kadam in the Palus-Kadegaon Assembly bypolls scheduled for May 28.
The Palus-Kadegaon Assembly bypolls in Sangli district of western Maharashtra have been necessitated by the demise of senior Congress leader Patangrao Kadam, who died of renal dysfunction at Mumbai’s lilavati Hospital on March 9.
Vishwajeet is the son of late Patangrao Kadam.
In a brief statement issued here in the evening, Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut not only extended his party’s support to the Congress candidate, but also indirectly slammed his party’s senior alliance partner BJP’s failure to facilitate unopposed election of the departed Congress leader’s son. “late Patangrao Kadam’s son Vishwajeet is contesting the Palus-Kadegaon Assembly by-polls. Patangrao had contributed a great in education, social and co-operative sectors. His contribution was beyond political party lines. As mark of respect to late Patangrao, the Sena wanted to see Vishwajeet get elected unopposed. Unfortunately, we do not see that happening,” Raut.
“That’s why the Shiv Sena has decided to extend its active support to Vishwajeet Kadam’s candidature. An announcement to this effect has been made by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray,” Raut said.
Despite being the BJP’s alliance partner in the state and at the Centre, the Shiv Sena has embarrassed the Amit Shah-led party on three occasions during the past one week.
First, the Sena announced its decision to field BJP’s late MP Chintaman Vanaga’s son Shrinivas Vanaga in the May 28 Palghar lok Sabha by-poll. Secondly, the Sena advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi “not to ridicule” Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his statement that he was prepared to become the Prime Minister in the event of his party emerging as the single largest party in the 2019 lok Sabha polls. Thirdly, it has now backed the Congress candidate in the Palus-Kadegaon Assembly by-polls.