Independent MP extends support, Congress Lok Sabha tally is 100 now

The Congress tally in the Lok Sabha has effectively touched 100 after Vishal Patil, a Congress rebel who won as an independent from Maharashtra, extended his support to the party.

"With Vishal Patil's support, the Congress strength will go up to 100 in the Lok Sabha," Congress MLA Vishwajit Kadam said.

A grandson of former Maharashtra chief minister Vasantdada Patil, Vishal Patil was elected from the Sangli seat, defeating Sanjaykaka Patil of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sangli seat

He rebelled and contested as an independent after the Sangli seat was assigned to the Shiv Sena in a seat-sharing arrangement among the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners.

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed the support extended by Vishal Patil to the party.

Vishal Patil and Vishwajit Kadam met Kharge and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Patil handed over a letter of support to the Congress.

Associate MP

If the Lok Sabha Secretariat gives its approval, Vishal Patil can be called an associate MP of the Congress and the party's strength in the Lok Sabha will become 100, party leaders said.

Pappu Yadav, another leader who won as an independent candidate from Purnea in Bihar, is also expected to support the Congress. He had merged his party with the Congress before the elections.