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Journalism of Courage
VADODARA, July 29: If one is a former Union minister, the other is the former president of the All India Youth Congress. If she has occupied benches of the Rajya Sabha, he has been one of the country8217;s youngest Lok Sabha members. If Urmilaben Patel has the firm support of the erstwhile Janata Dal G, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad has the backing of the city Youth Congress.
That the party had promised Patel the ticket 8212; leaving the Rajya Sabha ticket free for AICC treasurer Ahmed Patel 8212; is an open secret. But Patel told Express Newsline that she had given the party no option: it was the Vadodara Lok Sabha ticket or nothing for her, she said.
If, in the city, YC workers hold the advantage, in the district it is members of the erstwhile JDG 8212; including such heavyweights as District Congress chief Mohansinh Rathwa, Baroda Dairy director Narendra Patel and Savli MLA Khumansinh Chauhan 8212; who hold sway.
However, it was Savli that gave Gaekwad a considerable lead in the last elections, though the former MP now claims he8217;s the front-runner there since people have started comparing his work favourably with that of BJP MP Jayaben Thakkar.
According to a senior Congress leader, talking to Express Newsline on condition of anonymity, 8220;Patel is cashing in on the contacts of her husband, the late Chimanbhai Patel.8221; Besides, of course, she has been born and brought up in Vadodara district and has been associated with a number of non-governmental organisations here. Her son Siddharth is the MLA from Dabhoi.
Gaekwad-supporters, however, argue that none of them have a public image worth writing home about.
Interestingly, State Congress chief C D Patel and city unit president Ashwin Patel are reportedly sceptical about the rumours that Gaekwad could join Sharad Pawar, maintaining that this was a pressure tactic to ensure he got the ticket.
Gaekwad, however, claims he has no plans of joining Pawar. 8220;Why should I, when I8217;ve been assured a ticket,8221; he says C D Patel, too, told Express Newsline that Gaekwad was unlikely to join Pawar if denied a ticket.
