Sangli Lok Sabha Twist: Wrestler-Turned-Politician Chandrahar Patil Joins Shinde-Led Shiv Sena After Fallout with Thackeray Camp

The Sangli Lok Sabha seat witnessed high political drama this election season, especially within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. A tug-of-war emerged between Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, with Congress insisting on fielding its candidate from Sangli while the Thackeray faction argued that the seat had already been given to them, pointing to Congress’s control of Kolhapur. Amid these disagreements, Uddhav Thackeray bypassed alliance consensus and unilaterally announced wrestler Chandrahar Patil as his party’s candidate. However, the gamble backfired. Patil was decisively defeated by rebel Congress leader Vishal Patil, who ran independently and received full support from the Congress party machinery. The election, considered a matter of prestige for Uddhav Thackeray, ended in a major embarrassment for his faction.

Following the defeat, Chandrahar Patil distanced himself from active politics. But political circles were abuzz again when he appeared alongside leaders from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena during the Deputy Chief Minister’s tour of the Konkan region in late April. Today, those speculations were confirmed: Chandrahar Patil officially announced his switch to the Shinde camp. In a social media post, Patil explained his decision, stating: “While working in the sports sector in Maharashtra, I have faced numerous issues — irregularities, systemic flaws, and delays. I’ve raised my voice repeatedly, but without direct government support, such challenges are hard to resolve. To bring coordination in the sports field and contribute meaningfully to social and political development, my team and I have decided to work alongside the government.”

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Patil’s move comes as another setback for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, which has faced a string of high-profile exits since the 2024 Assembly election debacle. The loss in the polls triggered an exodus, with several leaders, office-bearers, and thousands of grassroots workers leaving the Thackeray faction to join the Shinde-led government. Chandrahar Patil’s switch adds to that growing list, signaling continued instability within Uddhav Thackeray’s camp.