Former CM Sushilkumar Shinde backs independent candidate in Solapur South

In an unexpected move on Wednesday, Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde pledged support to Dharmaraj Kadadi, an independent candidate contesting the Solapur South assembly seat, minutes after voting commenced in the Maharashtra assembly poll.

The decision came despite the presence of a Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee supported by the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, of which Congress is a member.

Shinde, accompanied by his daughter and Congress MP Praniti Shinde, announced their stance after casting their votes in Solapur.

“I believe Dharmaraj Kadadi is a good candidate with a promising future. Initially, Dilip Mane was granted the Congress candidature but did not receive the AB form, leading him to withdraw and support Kadadi,” Shinde explained.

He criticised the Shiv Sena (UBT) for its approach in the constituency, which he described as a Congress stronghold. “This constituency has been a bastion of the Congress party. I was elected from here when I served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) hurriedly announced Amar Patil as their candidate, but their claim over the constituency is unfounded. Over the years, Congress has consistently held this seat, except for occasional wins by Sena candidates,” he added.

Praniti Shinde reinforced her father’s position, stating, “Solapur South is historically a Congress stronghold, having produced a Chief Minister from this seat. We adhered to the Aghadi Dharma and refrained from issuing AB forms, which led our candidate to withdraw. Unfortunately, unlike Pandharpur, where we managed a friendly contest, we couldn’t replicate the same here. Hence, considering our party’s roots in this constituency, we decided to support Kadadi Saheb.”

She noted that similar “friendly fights” are occurring in other constituencies across Maharashtra.

In Solapur South, BJP has fielded sitting MLA Subhash Bapu Deshmukh, while Shiv Sena (UBT) nominated Amar Patil after rounds of negotiations with Congress. Dilip Mane, initially keen to contest on a Congress ticket, filed his nomination as an independent before withdrawing on the last day.

The constituency has a significant Lingayat voter base, and Kadadi, a Lingayat community leader, is considered a strong contender. He is the grandson of former MP Appa Saheb Kadadi and manages key institutions, including the Siddheshwar Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, Sangameshwar College, and the Siddheshwar Devasthan Samiti. Kadadi also owns the 70-year-old Sanchar newspaper.

Kadadi’s relationship with the BJP deteriorated after the Siddheshwar mill land was acquired for the airport expansion project, which included the demolition of its electricity generation plant’s chimney. He sought tickets from Congress and NCP but was overlooked as the seat was allotted to Shiv Sena (UBT). Banking on the Lingayat vote, he filed his independent candidature.

Earlier on November 11, during his campaign visit to Solapur, Uddhav Thackeray expressed disappointment over Congress MP Praniti Shinde’s absence from the campaign trail of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amar Patil in South Solapur.

During his rally, Thackeray said, “During Lok Sabha polls, I had skipped 2-3 rallies of my candidate and came here to Solapur for Praniti Shinde’s campaign. Now from here, I am going to tell her that she should participate in rallies of Amar Patil.”

Following Thackeray’s strong criticism of Congress’s limited participation in the UBT candidate’s campaign, the Solapur Congress city chief met with Thackeray and assured him that all Congress leaders would participate and work for MVA candidates. However, despite these assurances, Congress leaders remained largely absent from the ground, showing minimal support for Patil’s campaign.

Sharad Koli, Shiv Sena UBT leader from Solapur, alleged that the Shinde family back-stabbed them. Koli said, “During Lok Sabha polls, we made efforts for Praniti Shinde, otherwise, she would have lost her deposit. Now, by extending support to the independent candidate, she is indirectly helping the BJP candidate to secure victory.”