Just like what happened in the Lok Sabha, Sangli is all set for another multi-cornered contest in the Assembly elections. While the BJP, which holds the seat, has fielded its sitting MP Sudhir Gadgil, the official candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi is Prithviraj Patil of the Congress. However, Congress rebel Jayashri Patil has also thrown her hat into the ring as an independent.

On Sunday, Jayashri Patil met Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange to seek his support for the assembly elections. Jayashri Patil is the sister-in-law of Lok Sabha MP Vishal Patil and the wife of late minister of state and prominent Congress leader Madan Patil. They belong to the family of Maharashtra Chief Minister late Vasantdada Patil.

Jayashri Patil filed her nomination as an independent after the Congress announced the candidature of Prithviraj Patil from Sangli, currently represented by BJP’s Sudhir Gadgil. Any support from Jarange could lead to splitting of anti-BJP votes in Sangli and hurt the MVA’s prospects.

The rebel met Jarange along with his supporters and brother-in-law Vishal Patil in Jalna. “We have contacted Jarange to seek her support as Jayashri is eager to contest the elections as an independent. She has already filed her nomination and she has significant support,” said Vishal’s brother and former minister of Union, Pratik Patil.

Jayashri Patil also requested the Election Commission to issue him the election symbol of an ‘envelope’, which his brother-in-law used in the Lok Sabha elections and won, sources told the agency press release PTI.

The Congress fielded Prithviraj while running a strong campaign against Gadgil in the 2019 assembly elections, and lost by a slim margin of less than 7,000 votes.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Sangli, a Congress stronghold, was replaced by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. However, former Congress leader Vishal Patil contested the polls as an independent and won the seat. Vishal Patil defeated BJP’s Sanjaykaka Patil by over 1 lakh votes. Later he extended his support to the Congress.