Rivals to back independent against NCP’s Jayant Patil

Mumbai: Rivals in other constituencies, but bonded in Islampur. Major political parties have united against Nationalist Congress Party leader Jayant Patil in Islampur and plan to support an independent to ensure the former state finance minister's defeat in the election.

Senior Congress, Shiv Sena, BJP and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna (SSS) leaders are busy coaxing each other to withdraw candidates to ensure votes don't get divided.

Twenty candidates have filed their nominations from Islampur, including Congress stalwart Nana Mahadik, who is contesting as an independent. Others who have filed their papers include Bhimrao Mane (Shiv Sena), Vikram Patil (BJP), Jitendra Patil (Congress) and Abhijeet Patil (independent).

The SSS has not fielded any candidate but is apparently backing Abjijeet Patil, a former zilla parishad member who worked for SSS leader Raju Shetty in the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Senior Congress, Sena and SSS leaders are likely to support Abhijeet Patil.

SSS leaders, however, said they would announce the candidate who they will support only on Wednesday. SSS leader Sadabhau Khot said, "The seat belongs to our party (as per the traditional seat-sharing deal between BJP and SSS), but we decided to support an independent so that other parties support us to put up a fight against Jayant Patil."

Sena district unit head Anand Pawar said, "We will follow the orders of our senior party leaders."

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