Rahul wanted my son to join NCP: Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil

Mumbai: Two days after the Congress president Rahul Gandhi accepted the resignation of Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil as leader of Opposition (LoP), Mr Vikhe-Patil made alleged that the Congress leadership wanted his son to contest Lok Sabha election on NCP ticket.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had proposed it and Congress leadership agreed to it, he claimed.

Mr Vikhe-Patil quit the post of LoP after his son Sujay Vikhe-Patil joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest Lok Sabha election from Ahmednagar constituency, which the NCP refused to give to Congress.

Mr Vikhe-Patil also announced that he would take a call on his future in Congress party after the general elections.

Addressing a press conference at his hometown Loni in Ahmednagar district on Saturday, Mr Vikhe-Patil said that he was trying to get Ahmednagar seat for the Congress party but the party president Rahul Gandhi had suggested to contest from NCP’s ticket.

He said that seat sharing was decided on the basis of  ‘win-ability factor’ between the Congress and NCP.

“Accordingly, looking at the situation of the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency, the NCP should have given this seat to the Congress party for the candidature of Dr Sujay Vikhe-Patil. Dr Sujay was working in the constituency from past three to four years. But the NCP deliberately did not give this seat to the Congress party, Mr Vikhe-Patil said adding that he tried to get the seat for the Congress party from the NCP till last moment.

“I worked hard as Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly and did every bit to expose the BJP-led government. But when I sought ticket for Sujay for Ahmednagar, Mr Gandhi suggested that let Sujay contest as NCP candidate. I was shocked. (Accepting the suggestion would have been) somewhat like a political suicide for me,” he told reporters

“Even after this, I was mum and decided not to go Ahemadnagar for my son Sujay’s campaign. But I observed that the NCP is giving a colour to the election as Pawar versus Vikhe-Patil in Ahemadnagar, hence I was compelled to support my son,” Vikhe-Patil added.

Meanwhile, Congress’ general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday accused colleague Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of reneging on his promise to campaign for the party in the state.  

“After his son joined the BJP, Vikhe Patil had told the party that he would not campaign for the NCP in Ahmednagar but would canvass for Congress candidates elsewhere. He hasn’t kept the promise,” he said. Vikhe-Patil said he had resigned as the leader of opposition on March 15.