Candidate conundrum

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is a bit upset with the Congress high command these days. He feels the Congress has “betrayed” him by giving the party ticket to a close family member of an NCP leader in the Gujarat Assembly elections. The Congress has nominated NCP leader Sanat Mehta’s daughter-in-law Dr Purnima Sheetal Mehta for the Raopura constituency. Party leaders argue that it was a decision taken by the former Gujarat Finance Minister’s family. “Pawar has forgotten that Sanat Mehta was himself a defector to the NCP. He was originally in the Congress,” said a senior Congress leader, adding that the party had given eight seats to the NCP, quite disproportionate to the NCP’s current standing in Gujarat politics. “Besides, we did not have any other good candidate for that seat,” added another Congress leader with a grin, one must point out.