However, he remains unwilling to campaign against his son and BJP candidate from Ahmednagar Sujay Vikhe
With the Congress including the name of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in the list of star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition leader in the Assembly has no option but to do as the party says.
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However, he remains unwilling to campaign against his son and BJP candidate from Ahmednagar Sujay Vikhe. Last week, Patil skipped a joint media conference of the UPA's mahagathbandhan, apparently because some people from the party had accused him of campaigning for his son, albeit discreetly. Some Congress leaders had even asked him to clarify his position.
However, as per Tuesday's announcement, the leader would have to campaign in the state. The list of star campaigners includes the names of UPA President Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, ex-PM Manmohan Singh, former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin and veteran actor Nagma and several other national and state-level party leaders.
According to a close aide of Vikhe, the leader would not campaign in Ahmednagar because the NCP, which has its candidate up against his son, was sceptical about his intentions. "Vikhe feels that there is no point in campaigning in Ahmednagar where the UPA partner doesn't trust him or his family. He will hold rallies in the places the Congress wants," said the aide. Vikhe will have his task cut out in Shirdi where the Congress is expected to field its candidate.
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