Vinod Patil withdraws from election, citing opposition

Blames two MLAs and one MP for thwarting his chances of securing party ticket

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : In a surprising turn of events, Vinod Patil, the prominent petitioner for Maratha reservation, has announced his withdrawal from the Lok Sabha election. Patil, who had previously vowed not to withdraw under any circumstances, made this announcement during a press conference held on Wednesday.

In the press conference, Patil stated that the opposition from two MLAs and one MP from the city has thwarted his chances of securing a party ticket. Consequently, he decided to withdraw from the election as an independent candidate to prevent any negative impact on other candidates and to prevent the undeserving contender from winning.

Despite his withdrawal, Patil made it clear that he would not extend his support or participate in the campaign for any other candidate. However, he expressed confidence in his chances of victory, emphasizing his belief in the strength of his electoral arithmetic. Prior to the press conference, Patil convened a meeting with his supporters, where he informed them about his choice to refrain from contesting the election. Notably, some of his supporters from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were also present during the meeting.

Mahayuti candidate to file nomination today

Patil made the announcement just a day before the scheduled rally on Thursday, where the grand alliance candidate Sandipan Bhumre will officially file his candidacy. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis are expected to be present during the filing.