BJP Questions Congress’ Decision to Field AAP Candidate in Bharuch
Amit Malviya of the BJP asserted that the Gandhis subscribe to a “use and throw” philosophy, which he believes was evident in the decision to allocate Ahmed Patel’s Bharuch seat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as part of a seat-sharing arrangement.
Former Congress leader and current BJP spokesperson, Jaiveer Shergill, suggested that allocating Gujarat’s Bharuch constituency to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the seat-sharing arrangement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections could be seen as a form of retribution by the ‘Prince,’ hinting at a perceived contrast between late Ahmed Patel and Rahul Gandhi. The Congress and AAP’s announcement of their seat-sharing deal has sparked curiosity and speculation, particularly as Congress has opted not to nominate any candidate from Bharuch while AAP will. BJP’s Amit Malviya opined that conceding Bharuch to AAP represents Rahul Gandhi’s endeavor to erase Ahmed Patel’s legacy. Malviya’s viewpoint was shared alongside a post by Ahmed Patel’s daughter, Mumtaz Patel, on X, in which she apologized to the district cadre for the inability to contest in Bharuch.
AAP and Congress have forged an alliance to contest the Lok Sabha elections together in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, and Goa, excluding Punjab. As part of this arrangement, Congress has agreed to allocate two seats to AAP in Gujarat — Bhavnagar and Bharuch. Bharuch holds significance as the legacy seat of the late Ahmed Patel, and this decision has stirred discontent among Patel’s son and daughter.
Mumtaz Patel expressed deep regret to the district cadre for failing to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in the alliance, acknowledging their disappointment. She affirmed their determination to strengthen the Congress party together and preserve the legacy of Ahmed Patel. Faisal Patel, Ahmed Patel’s son, noted that party workers were discontented with the decision to allocate the seat to AAP, despite his earlier appreciation of Rahul Gandhi for listening to him and the Bharuch Congress workers.
Chaitar Vasava, the AAP candidate from Bharuch, is contesting as part of the INDIA bloc. Ahmed Patel had previously won the Bharuch seat three times in the 1970s and 80s, but since 1989, it has been a stronghold for the BJP. The incumbent MP is Mansukhbhai Vasava of the BJP. Chaitar Vasava, a tribal leader and one of the five AAP leaders who won in the 2022 Assembly election in Gujarat, aims to pay tribute to Ahmed Patel through his candidacy, despite potential challenges in garnering support from the Congress local cadre. In December last year, Chaitar Vasava and his wife were arrested in connection with a case involving the alleged firing of shots to threaten forest officers.
