Uphill task for INDI Alliance in Bharuch, Faisal Patel seeks clarification from Congress High Command

Bharuch : In a surprising turn of events, Faisal Patel—son of the late Ahmed Patel, a prominent Congress leader—has voiced severe disapproval of the INDI Alliance’s decision to hand up the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Not content with the alliance’s request, Patel—who has considerable influence among district’s congressional workers—openly challenged the decision. He went on to say that he and the Congress high command were going to meet in New Delhi on Saturday night to talk about it.

Patel acknowledged his tight links to the party leadership when he remarked, “The Gandhi family is like a family to me.” It was via the media that I was informed of the INDI alliance’s decision about the Bharuch seat. Nonetheless, I will be travelling to Delhi to discuss this matter with the highest-ranking members of the Congress party.

Although Patel understood the need of following party decisions, he disagreed with the seat-sharing arrangement. “While we, myself and my party workers, are against the decision to give Bharuch to AAP, we must ultimately accept what the party has decided,” he told reporters.

“Sonia Gandhiji is like my god mother and Rahul Gandhi is my leader and my boss. For the Gandhis, Bharuch LS seat has an emotional connect as the late grandfather of Rahul Gandhi, Feroz Gandhi was born in Bharuch. I am confident that the Congress leadership will decide in our favour” said Patel.

The long history of Patel’s family in the Bharuch constituency was highlighted by the politician. “There’s still time before the Lok Sabha elections, and a lot can change between now and then,” according to him. You are aware of the deep ties that run in my family’s name with the Bharuch district. Ahmed Patel, my late father, gave his all to this constituency and its residents. This is where we’re based, our territory.

Though he respected AAP candidate Chaitar Vasava’s right to free speech, he went on to stress the INDI Alliance’s role in bolstering democratic norms. In order to restore our democracy, the INDI alliance is vital. Improving the Bharuch Congress party and giving locals a stronger voice are my top priorities. After everything is said and done, Patel promised that he will follow the preferences of his party workers.

The Congress has been given 24 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat by the INDI coalition, which also includes the AAP. The AAP has been given Bhavnagar and Bharuch as their remaining two seats. This follows last month’s announcement by AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that Chaitar Vasava, the party’s MLA from Dediapada, will run from Bharuch.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, seems unconcerned with the alliance’s progress. As a result of his non-partisan stance on local matters, Mansukh Vasava, a senior BJP politician and six-time member of parliament from Bharuch, is allegedly encountering discord inside the party. As part of its “no-repetition” policy, the BJP is reportedly thinking of fielding a new candidate in the next elections.

The leader of the Gujarat BJP party, C R Paatil, was critical of the INDI alliance’s chances in the state when asked about their seat-sharing deal. “The INDI coalition has decided that 24 seats would be contested by Congress and just 2 by the AAP.  In an interview with ANI, Paatil said that even the fearsome Ahmed Patel had lost Bharuch. I am not anticipating any improvement from AAP. They will suffer a devastating loss. Trust me when I say that every one of Gujarat’s 26 seats will go to the BJP.

The Bharuch Lok Sabha seat is becoming more interesting as a result of Faisal Patel’s opposition and the BJP’s certain posture. It is still to be determined whether the INDI coalition can triumph over internal obstacles and the BJP’s supremacy in the state.