No question of claiming Kolhapur LS seat if father gets ticket: Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati

Pune: Former Rajya Sabha member Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati has said that as his father Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is likely to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Kolhapur, there is no question of him staking a claim for the seat.

Speculation is rife that Shahu Maharaj, a descendant of the iconic 17th century ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, would be the candidate for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from Kolhapur.

The MVA- comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) - is yet to announce its candidates for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Its leaders have been holding hectic parleys for the last several days to reach a consensus on the allocation of seats.

"It was confirmed that I would be contesting the Lok Sabha elections, from Kolhapur or Nashik constituency, but when it was decided that Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, my father would be contesting the elections from Kolhapur... it is the people's wish and in this scenario, there is no question of my contesting the Lok Sabha seat," Sambhaji Raje told reporters on Wednesday.

He said if his father gets the ticket, his entire effort will be directed to ensure Shahu Maharaj's victory in Kolhapur.