Independent Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra, Vishal Patil, met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday and extended his support to the party.

Mr.

Patil, the grandson of former Maharashtra chief minister Vasantdada Patil, won the Lok Sabha election from the Sangli seat.

A former Congress leader, Mr.

Patil had contested the elections as an Independent after the Sangli parliamentary seat was allotted to the Shiv Sena-UBT in the seat-sharing arrangement among the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.

In a post on X, Mr.

Kharge said, 'Welcoming the support of the elected MP from Sangli, Shri Vishal Patil (@patilvishalvp) to the Congress party.

' Patil also met former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

He stated that the people of Maharashtra defeated the politics of treachery, arrogance, and division.

This is a fitting tribute to our inspiring stalwarts like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, and Babasaheb Dr.

Ambedkar who fought for social justice, equality, and freedom.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won 99 seats, the highest in the opposition INDIA bloc.

The opposition coalition emerged victorious in 233 seats.

Mr.

Patil mentioned that it was not possible to contest on a Congress ticket, but people voted for him considering the ideology of Congress.

He expressed his gratitude and extended his support to Congress after being elected.

He sent a letter of support to Mallikarjun Kharge and met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to seek their blessings.

He assured that they would work together.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal said that the Congress always had deep roots in Sangli, and with this sentiment, Patil has extended unconditional support to the party.

He added that this move takes the legacy of Congress stalwart Vasantdada Patil forward.

Mr.

Patil is the son of Prakashbapu Patil, a five-term Congress Lok Sabha MP from Sangli.

Prakashbapu died in 2005, and his son Pratik Patil won the Sangli seat in a bypoll.

Pratik was a union minister in the UPA government and recently announced his retirement from politics, following which Vishal stepped in.