Congress Likely To Field Prithviraj Chavan For Satara Lok Sabha Bypolls: Sources

Congress is expected to field senior Congress leader and formerMaharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan against BJP's leader Udayanraje Bhosale in the Lok Sabha bypoll for Satara seat, according to sources. However, Chavan has earlier termed reports of him contesting against NCP-turned-BJP leader Udayanraje Bhosale as rumours. Bhosale resigned from the Lok Sabha and joined BJP recently. 

Last week, when asked what his stand would be in case the Congress asked him to contest the Satara Lok Sabha bypoll, Chavan had refused to delve into the issue by stating "there is no point in talking about ifs and buts".

He, however, expressed confidence that the Congress-NCP combine would retain Satara in the bypoll. Chavan had said there was a possibility that mathadi (headload) workers' union leader Narendra Patil might be fielded by the NCP against Bhosale. Patil had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls against Bhosale on a Shiv Sena ticket and was beaten by a margin of 1.26 lakh votes.