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Vasantdada's kin fight to inherit formidable legacy

Pankaj Upadhyaya in Sangli

When Vasantdada Patil, four-time chief minister of Maharashtra, was alive he took pride in the fact that anybody from his family could win an election from Sangli with ease. Today, two members of the Patil clan are ranged against each other for the Sangli Lok Sabha seat, and one of them must lose.

The Congress, in this small, western Maharashtra town which is widely considered to be the capital of the state's prosperous sugar belt, was deeply divided when Sharad Pawar left the Congress to form the Nationalist Congress Party three months back.

At the centre of this division was Vasantdada's family which has nurtured the party for over 40 years. While Vasantdada's brother's son Vishnu Anna Patil, his son Madan Patil and the former chief minister's second wife Shalinitai Patil went with Pawar, his son Prakash Patil stayed back with the Congress. Now, Madan Patil (NCP) and Prakash Patil (Congress) are facing each other in what promises to be a keen fight.

Political observers, however, say the Patil family was always a deeply cleaved one, only the facade of unity that they had put up for so long has crumbled now.

In 1995 assembly elections Madan had fought as an independent against Prakash (Congress) thus tilting the balance in the favour of the Janata Dal's Sambhaji Pawar, who won by a comfortable margin.

It's common knowledge that in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections that followed, Prakash, wisened by his experience of '95, supported Madan Patil on the condition that the latter would return the favour in the assembly elections.

Prakash had also demanded a commitment from Madan that he would not interfere in the working of the Vasantdada Cooperative Sugar Factory, which the former controls currently.

While Prakash won with a big margin, the arrangement between the two Patils fell apart as soon as Madan decided to join the NCP.

Today, while Vajpayee and Sonia dominate the national scene, the main issue in Sangli is who, between Madan and Prakash, is the rightful inheritor to Vasantdada's legacy. Both have staked claim to the huge votebank that is still loyal to Vasantdada. In both houses life-size portraits of Vasantdada find pride of place. Campaign material of both the parties have Vasantdada's pictures.

However, in this fight for Dada's legacy, Prakash has a slight edge. After all he is Vasantdada's son, while Madan is a distant relative. Prakash Patil also has in his control the all powerful Vasantdada Cooperative Sugar Party.

He is also seen as a friendly person who helps people when in need, while Madan's image is that of a spoilt brat.

But what will work in Madan's favour is the phenomenal strength of the NCP in this district. Out of the eight MLAs in the district (two assembly constituencies in Sangli district fall under Karad and Pandharpur Lok Sabha constituencies), six have come into the NCP fold. While four of these are Congress rebels who had fought as independents (supported by Pawar), two belong to the Janata Dal -- an NCP ally.

This provides Madan with a phenomenal base. In fact, had it not been for the division of votes in the pro-Dada camp, Madan would have romped home.

Though the exodus of leaders from the Congress also indicates an erosion of the party's workers' base, it is not the ground reality. Prakash Patil, by virtue of being Vasantdada's son, has committed followers in every village. His palatial bungalow just across the road from the co-op sugar factory he controls, was teeming with party workers when this correspondent visited him. In fact, by comparison, it was Madan's house, where he stays with his father, that looked deserted.

But, as two claimants to Dada's legacy fight it out, it's the Bharatiya Janata Party which has got a new lease of life. The BJP leaders are positive that the division in pro-Dada and traditional Congress votes would help their candidate Rajendra 'Chiman' Dange, son of Sangli Guardian Minister Anna Dange.

However, this is unlikely to be the deciding factor. In the end, it will be a member of Sangli's first family who will emerge a winner.

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