Patchhigar8217;s chances brighten

SURAT, Aug 4: With the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee having decided to field only two woman candidates -- Nisha Chaudhary and Urmila...

SURAT, Aug 4: With the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee having decided to field only two woman candidates 8212; Nisha Chaudhary and Urmilaben Patel 8212; from Gujarat, the chances of Rupin Patchhigar, former president of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have brightened. He is most likely to be pitted against Union Textile Minister Kashiram Rana in the Surat constituency.

Patchhigar, 46, who is currently camping in Delhi, seems to have emerged a 8220;consensus choice8221;, with all other probable candidates having declined to contest.

Talking to Express Newsline, Jawahar Upadhayay, secretary to GPCC president C D Patel said, 8220;in all probability, Patichhigar will be the Congress candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha seat8221;. While Nishaben, sitting MP from Sabarkantha, is likely to be renominated, Urmilaben is all set to contest from Vadodara.

The GPCC has sent a panel of two names Patchhigar8217;s and Usha Patel8217;s to the party leadership for choice as nominee for the Surat seat. With the notable exception of GPCC vice-president Kadir Pirzada, almost all Congress factions want Patchhigar to contest from Surat.

According to Pirzada, workers cannot identify with Patchhigar. 8220;Our supporters are poor slum-dwellers and the minorities, who hardly know him8221;, he says. The party, he feels, will be doomed if Patchhigar is pitted against Rana. He, however, clarifies that though he has reservations about Patchhigar, 8220;once the party decides to field him, I will work for him8221;.

However, Surat city Congress President Pratap Kantharia says Patchhigar stands a good chance. 8220;Though he may have not developed a rapport with Congress workers, he can garner middle class votes,8221; he says.

Most Congress factions this reporter spoke to said 8220;Patchhigar is an ideal choice. Except Pirzada, no one has opposed him8221;. Pirzada, who says he has no personal enmity with Patchhigar, says 8220;I am opposing him because he has no political background, no public life. What about those who have served the party for years. Till recently he used to garland Kashiram Rana, now how can he be the Congress candidate? I do not understand what impression the party wants to create by fielding such a candidate8221;.

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But Patchigar8217;s supporters maintain that Patchhigar, who a chartered accountant by profession, can give a good fight to Rana in his pocket borough. Even BJP insiders admit that if Patchhigar is in the fray, it will no longer be a cakewalk for Rana.

One of the tangible advantages in having Patchhigar as the candidate, say Congress workers, is that he does not belong to any group. All groups can thus sink their differences to work together in the coming elections. Those supporting Patchhigar include GPCC President C D Patel, South Gujarat congress veteran Zinabhai Darji, city President Pratap Kantharia, GPCC Vice-President Thakorbhai Naik, congress spokesman Rizwan Osmani and councillor Bhupendra Solanki.