Amid talks in Delhi, Gujarat Congress leaders object to ‘giving away’ Bharuch to AAP

However, amid the vocal objections, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Shaktisinh Gohil told The Indian Express that the state leadership has “received no formal intimation of the alliance”. Notably, on February 13, the AAP had confirmed that it would field Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava and Botad MLA Umesh Makwana from Bharuch and Bhavnagar respectively.

On Thursday, Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaaz Patel took to social media with cryptic posts stating her father “had taught her to fight till the end”. For several months, speculations were rife that the Congress would field either of Ahmed Patel’s children — Faisal Patel or Mumtaaz Patel — to take on the BJP, which has retained the seat for seven consecutive terms.

Her brother Faisal Patel, on the other hand, told reporters that he had “implored the party” to not give away the constituency to an alliance partner. “I am in talks (with the party) but I want to request our party leaders Rahul Gandhiji, Sonia Gandhiji, (Mallikarjuna) Khargeji, (K. C.) Venugopalji, (Mukul) Wasnikji, Shaktisinh Gohilji, and Usha Naiduji that the Congress should contest from the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat as a part of the coalition,” he said.

Faisal was backed by the party’s Bharuch District President, Rajendrasinh Rana, who was appointed to the post only two days ago. Rana, who addressed a press conference to register his protest, said, “This (Bharuch) seat is a Congress seat and the voters are traditionally Congress voters. Therefore, it is the sentiment of the party leaders as well as the people, that a Congress candidate should contest from this seat. We have conveyed our opinion to the party leaders in Gujarat to further convey it to the high command.”

Incidentally, Rana, along with other Congress leaders from the district, had written to the state leadership, registering their protest against the likelihood of an alliance with the AAP in Bharuch. Tribal leader and Congress’s Jhagadia taluka unit president, Dhanraj Vasava, also issued a video message “condemning” the decision. “We condemn the decision to give away the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat to the AAP… We are Congress workers and we will put all our strength in ensuring the win of Congress candidates. We believe that the party high command will only field a Congress candidate,” Dhanraj stated.

However, GPCC president Gohil told The Indian Express that the leaders in the state will “abide by” the decision taken by the AICC, when it is formally conveyed. “In any family, all members are asked to give their opinion on matters and the final decision is taken by the head of the family… We (GPCC) have also submitted our opinion to the party high command, but the opinion we have shared is between the high command and us… The final decision will be taken by the party high command. If it is as per our opinion, we will be happy but if not, we will be disciplined soldiers and follow the decision taken by the party,” Gohil said.

When pressed about the prestige that the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat holds for the Congress and the advantage that the seat-sharing would award the BJP, Gohil said, “The BJP is the last party who should have any opinion about any political alliance the Congress forges with any party… The BJP has been in an alliance with the PDP in Kashmir in the past and it has formed alliances with the Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena and also dumped the two parties as per its need… What the BJP thinks of the Congress decision to share seats with the AAP, when it happens, will be of least concern to us.”

Another senior Congress party leader said the AICC has “conceded” to the AAP contesting the Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats as AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has already announced the candidates. “The seat-sharing between the Congress and the AAP had been held up because AAP announced candidates in Gujarat while the alliance was to discuss the issue… However, with only a few weeks to go for the Lok Sabha polls, the decision cannot be delayed any further. The party had decided to concede to AAP’s demand of the two seats in Gujarat… Once the formal announcement is made, the state leaders will communicate and explain the same to the leaders, who are currently opposing the alliance formula,” the leader said.

Meanwhile on Thursday, coinciding with the meeting in the national capital between the top leaders of the parties, Chaitar launched his ‘Swabhiman Yatra’, a 21-day election campaign, from Jhagadia in Bharuch. The tribal leader, who is currently out on bail for alleged extortion and assault of a forest official, said the yatra would conclude at Dev Mogra temple in Narmada on March 13, coinciding with his birthday.

“I have started the yatra with blessings from Hanuman Dada Gumandev temple and it will go on in the entire Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency… We will go to each and every area of the Lok Sabha constituency and talk to people in order to get as much support in the upcoming election as possible. We are beginning our journey to win the Bharuch Parliamentary constituency… It is an alliance of INDIA bloc and the national leaders have been holding meetings and discussions over seat-sharing. Hence, in the upcoming days, I am confident that the people of Bharuch will choose us and accept us. We will work together with the Congress workers in order to defeat the BJP,” Chaitar said. As part of the bail conditions, a Narmada court has prohibited Chaitar from entering the district until the completion of the trial.

At one of his pit-stops, Chaitar said the yatra is in response to the “politics of fear, victimisation and corruption by the BJP”. “We are small leaders from poor families but we are fighting against such big parties and such powerful governments with the confidence that voters like you will support us,” he said.