MUMBAI, May 7: For Agriculture and Water Conservation Minister Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil, retaining the Shirdi Assembly seat will be a difficult task following nomination of Ravindra Deokar as the Congress nominee for the May 29 by-election.

Erstwhile Congress legislator Radha Krishna was elected on a Congress ticket from the Shirdi Assembly constituency in Ahmadnagar district. Subsequently, he resigned from the Congress as well as the legislative Assembly to join the Shiv Sena. Then he was inducted into the Cabinet and given the Agriculture and Water Conservation portfolio held by controversial Minister Shashikant Sutar.

In the last election, Patil was elected by a margin of over 28,000 votes. Subsequent to the Assembly elections, both Radha Krishna as well as his father and former MP Balasaheb Vikhe Patil had taken keen interest in the activities of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.

In the February elections to the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samiti, Balasaheb had floated a front to contest the polls against the Congress. However, barring one or two seats, the front was badly mauled by the Congress as it captured the Zilla Parishad by securing a clear majority.

Congress has cleverly nominated Deokar, who has been elected to the Zilla Parishad by a huge margin from the home town of Radha Krishna.

According to a senior Shiv Sena minister, it will be a cake walk for Radha Krishna as the electorate has already been impressed by the performance of the alliance government.

``Results of the by-elections is a clear indication of my contention. Barring one seat in the metropolis, the alliance won all the by-elections to the State Assembly,'' the Minister pointed out.

Congress spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan said it will be difficult for Radhka Krishna to retain the seat. ``Neither Radha Krishna nor his father Balasaheb has any influence over the electorate. This has been clearly proved in the recently held elections to the Zilla Parishads,'' Mahajan pointed out.

Mahajan said it will be a testing time for the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance. On the basis of muscle and money power, it will be difficult now for the alliance to fool the rural electorate, he added.

Secondly, Mahajan said for the first time, local Congress leaders Madhukar Pichad, Prasad Tanpure, Shankarrao Kolhe and Balasaheb Thorat have decided to give united fight against Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil.

Radhka Krishna Vikhe Patil is the second Congress legislator to defect to Shiv Sena and get Cabinet berth. Earlier, highprofile Congress leader Sureshdada Jain had resigned from the party to join the Sena. Subsequently, he was elected from Jalgaon Assembly constituency in a by-election.

Currently, he is a Minister for Trade and Commerce.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.