Nana Patole Challenges Sanjay Raut Over Seat-Sharing, Breaking Congress Norms

Mumbai, 22nd October 2024: Breaking away from the traditional approach of the Congress party, 62-year-old Nana Patole has emerged as a dynamic leader. Since the start of seat-sharing discussions within the MVA a month ago, most Congress leaders have kept a low profile. However, Patole has distinguished himself by directly challenging UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut regarding the seat-sharing arrangements, particularly concerning Vidarbha and certain Mumbai seats.

In a surprising move, Patole cautioned Raut not to view himself as a replacement for Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a back-and-forth exchange between the two. This altercation was eventually de-escalated with the intervention of AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala, who reached out to both Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar.

Although Patole generally maintained a low profile during much of his political career, he gained prominence when he confronted Prime Minister Modi at a gathering of BJP MPs, criticizing the party’s “anti-farmer” policies. Notably, he defeated Praful Patel in the Bhandara-Gondia seat during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

After he disagreed with BJP leadership, Patole resigned from the Lok Sabha and rejoined Congress. He briefly served as the Speaker of the Assembly but stepped down without achieving his ambition of becoming a cabinet member. Eventually, he was appointed MPCC president, and despite efforts to unseat him, he has remained in this role due to the party’s successes in several elections. Congress secured victories in the graduates’ constituency elections in Amravati and Nagpur, as well as the Pune Assembly by-election. For Patole, a key accomplishment has been his ability to take a stand against the UBT Sena while receiving support from the AICC.