Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 8: The Congress party has effectively reached a tally of 100 members in the Lok Sabha following support from Vishal Patil, a Congress rebel who secured a seat as an independent candidate from Maharashtra.

"With Vishal Patil's backing, our count in the Lok Sabha will now stand at 100," announced Congress MLA Vishwajit Kadam.

Vishal Patil, the grandson of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, triumphed in the Sangli constituency by defeating BJP candidate Sanjaykaka Patil. Initially running as an independent after the Sangli seat was allocated to Shiv Sena as part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Patil’s win marks a significant shift.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his gratitude for Patil’s support through a post on X, welcoming him back to the fold. Patil, accompanied by Vishwajit Kadam, met with top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, where he formally presented a letter of support to the party.

If the Lok Sabha Secretariat approves, Vishal Patil could be recognized as an associate MP of Congress, thus officially boosting the party's strength to 100, according to party officials. Additionally, Pappu Yadav, another independent winner from Purnea in Bihar, is expected to back Congress as well. Yadav had previously merged his party with Congress but ran independently when the Purnea seat was assigned to the RJD under the Bihar opposition seat-sharing arrangement.