BATTLE OF PATILS

Will the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT) fracas over Sangli impact the prospects of the MVA in Maharashtra and the pan-nation interests of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc?

- Dhaval S. Kulkarni

Western Maharashtra's Sangli, commonly referred to as 'Natya Pandhari' or the Mecca of the Marathi theatre industry, has been witnessing a different kind of drama of late. It was in this erstwhile princely state that Vishnudas Bhave had staged the first modern Marathi play-the sangeet natak (musical drama) Sita Swayamwar-back in 1843. But today the Lok Sabha constituency, sprawled along the first southward arc of the Krishna river, is a proscenium for chancy events, hosting scenes and acts that may bend the Opposition's rainbow coalition towards a messy denouement.

The roots of the row lie in allies Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) both staking claim to the constituency, foreclosing a smooth passage for the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) seat-sharing talks here. It was perhaps fated to be a fraught exercise all over Maharashtra, with both the Uddhav Sena and the third big MVA constituent, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), looking for popular justice after being reduced to rump outfits by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

But Sangli, a traditional Congress stronghold, proved to hold more twists than a river in the Ghats has. It was the political homestead of the late party stalwart and chief minister Vasantrao Patil (a.k.a. Vasantdada). Between 1980, when Vasantdada was first elected to the Lok Sabha, and 2014, when the Modi wave swept through these parts, Sangli had sent a member of Vasantdada's family to Parliament each election-be it his wife Shalinitai, son Prakashbapu, nephew Madan (son of Vasantrao's cousin Vishwanathrao a.k.a. Vishnuanna) or grandson Pratik.