Lok Sabha Elections 2024 : Gujarat Congress Candidates Under Fire for Surrendering to BJP Heavyweights

GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT : As the Gujarat Congress prepares for a crucial meeting with its Lok Sabha candidates ahead of the 2024 elections, questions loom large over the commitment and campaign activities of key candidates, Naishad Desai and Sonal Patel. Accusations of passive campaigning and alleged deference to BJP stalwarts, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat BJP President CR Paatil, have sparked controversy within the party.

The Gujarat Congress has summoned all its Lok Sabha candidates for a meeting on May 22 at the State party headquarters. With polling completed on May 7 and results due on June 4, the party’s leadership, including State party incharge Mukul Vasnik and State party chief Shaktisinh Gohil, is set to gather feedback on campaign efforts and strategies.

However, the focus is on two candidates—Naishad Desai from Navsari and Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar—who have faced severe criticism for their lackluster campaigning. Sources within the party revealed that dedicated voters in these constituencies have expressed disappointment, claiming the candidates have barely been visible.

In Gandhinagar, Sonal Patel has been accused of being completely inactive. “We haven’t seen her campaigning in our area at all,” lamented a local voter. After being named the Congress candidate against BJP heavyweight Amit Shah, Patel made a brief appearance in a few television interviews before disappearing from the public eye. “It’s like she just gave up,” said another voter.

Similarly, Naishad Desai, the Congress candidate for Navsari, has drawn scrutiny. His campaign drew attention primarily when he filed his nomination at the Navsari district collector’s office, coincidentally meeting CR Paatil, the Gujarat BJP chief, at the same time. A video of Desai whispering something to Paatil, followed by both laughing, went viral on social media, raising eyebrows among Congress supporters. “It looked like he was more friendly with the opposition than focused on winning,” commented a disillusioned party worker.

In Bharuch, Congress workers and leaders have been similarly criticized for their lack of support for the INDI Alliance candidate Chaitar Vasava, who faces BJP heavyweight Mansukh Vasava. Mumtaz Patel, daughter of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel, expressed her displeasure over the Congress leadership’s decision to allocate the Bharuch seat to an AAP candidate. “This decision demotivated our local cadre,” she said, hinting at internal dissatisfaction.

The broader context of these allegations points to a potentially demoralized Congress campaign across Gujarat. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress contested 23 seats, with one seat in Surat going to BJP unopposed and two seats—Bharuch and Bhavnagar—allocated to AAP under the INDI Alliance. The upcoming meeting is seen as critical for addressing these issues and realigning the party’s strategy.

Senior Congress leaders hope to salvage the situation by taking direct feedback from the candidates. “We need to understand what went wrong and how we can fix it,” said a party insider. The meeting on May 22 will serve as a platform for open discussion and potential course correction.