 Patil had been loyal to the INC and the Nehru–Gandhi family for decades and this was considered to be a significant factor in her selection by INC leader Sonia Gandhi, although Patil said that she had no intention of being a "rubber-stamp president".In the same month that she was selected, as the member of the UPA Patil was accused of shielding her brother, G. N. Patil, in the 2005 Vishram Patil murder case.Vishram Patil had narrowly defeated G. N. Patil in an election to be the President of the District Congress Committee of Jalgaon and in September of that year had been murdered.