Fadnavis phones Jayant Patil to avoid Sangli district bank poll; 15 elected unopposed, six seats contested

The campaign for the Sangli District Central Cooperative Bank elections has begun to heat up. There were several political and court developments earlier. Then, against the backdrop of drought, a position emerged that the election should be held without a contest.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a BJP leader, made a request to Jayant Patil, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). An effort was therefore made to make the election unopposed. Through this effort, 15 candidates were elected unopposed.

However, candidates for six seats in Tasgaon, Miraj, Kavathemahankal and Jat have entered the fray. Sitting MLA Gopichand Padalkar, former MP Sanjay Patil, former MLA Suman Patil and former minister Ajitrao Ghorpade have a significant role in the contest.

Leaders who otherwise attack one another are seen embracing each other in the district bank election. The Chief Minister himself had to request that the election for one remaining district-level bank be held unopposed.

Even so, MLA Gopichand Padalkar has to contest the election. The question is therefore being raised whether the BJP leadership fell short.