Even as several parts of Gujarat are flooded with waters, Ahmed Patel, political advisor to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is facing troubled waters ahead of Rajya Sabha elections on August 8. Patel is seeking re-election for the fifth term as RS candidate.
Patel’s term is ending in August along with that of Union minister Smriti Irani and Dilip Pandya of the BJP. The saffron party has fielded its national president Amit Shah and Irani this time. Gujarat sends 11 Rajya Sabha members to the Parliament.
Congress suffered a major seback on Thursday when three of its MLAs including party whip Balwantsinh Rajput resigned from the party. The other two MLAs who quit the party are Tejashree Patel and P.I.Patel.
The BJP got a shot in the arm as all these three legislators joined the ruling party. The saffron party quickly named Rajput as its third candidate for the RS polls.
The resignations come a day after former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela gave conditional support to Patel providing Congress in-charge for Gujarat Ashok Ghelot withdraws allegations against him. Ghelot had alleged that Vaghela had resigned from the party due to pressure of CBI and ED probes.
Rajput is Vaghela’s distant relative. Vaghela’s grandson is married to Rajput’s daughter.
With the BJP announcing the name of Rajput as its candidate, it is a political setback for Patel and if Rajput manages to win, it may well be beginning of the downfall of Patel's political career.
Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said that the BJP's MLAs would support the fourth candidate if he/she was of their choice. They would support the candidate after voting for their own (BJP's) candidates.
It now appears that Patel, who is close to the Gandhis, is not the choice of party’s rank and file. Nobody admits it on record, but the leaders confide that they are unhappy over the manner in which Patel functions. It is believed that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are not been made aware of the real ground situations and everything has to be routed through Patel.
Moreover, Congress insiders say that Patel was also instrumental in the decision of not removing state party president Bharatsinh Solanki. Vaghela’s key demand was to remove Solanki.
