Faisal Patel to Contest from Bharuch Seat: Confirms Talks with Rahul Gandhi

There is a possibility of announcing the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 shortly, which is eagerly anticipated by all parties, including the BJP and the Congress. The BJP in Gujarat is gearing up for a mission to win each seat with a lead of 5 lakh votes. On the other hand, the Congress is striving to halt BJP’s winning streak by winning all the seats and is facing the challenge head-on. To counter the BJP’s momentum, the Congress and AAP have allied with Delhi, but the situation remains unchanged in Gujarat for now.

The announcement of a power-sharing alliance between AAP and Congress in Gujarat has sparked anticipation of seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Before the formal announcement of the AAP-Congress alliance, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal nominated Chetan Vasava as a candidate for the Bharuch seat, signaling the beginning of preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. The Bharuch seat has become a hotly contested battleground between Congress and AAP in recent months, leading to the nomination of Chetan Vasava by AAP. On the other hand, Congress is lobbying to nominate the sons of Ahmed Patel, Faizal Patel, and Mumtaz Patel as candidates for the seat. This development underscores the intensifying political dynamics and competition in Gujarat ahead of the upcoming elections.

On February 23, 2024, Faizal Patel tweeted regarding the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat, expressing his discontent with the ultimatum given by the Congress. He stated that if the Congress insists on contesting the Bharuch seat, he would not support Congress candidates nominated by loyal workers. On the other hand, the Congress has agreed to allocate the Bharuch seat to AAP as part of the India Alliance, as proposed by Chetan Vasava himself. Following this, Faizal Patel expressed his support for the Congress and Bharuch Congress workers, emphasizing his commitment to contesting and winning the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat, thus reinforcing the trust placed in him by the people.

“Rahul Gandhi has not yet decided on the alliance,” Faizal Patel stated.

Divya Bhaskar had a conversation with Faizal Patel about this matter. During the interaction, he mentioned that he had spoken with Rahul Gandhi twice and stated that so far, no decision has been made regarding the alliance. He advised the tribal workers not to be upset and to remain steadfast. Rahul Gandhi also mentioned that a decision will be made shortly. From the Congress party, I will contest from the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat. Mumtaz is a significant figure for me, and she supports me in every way possible.”

“On February 22, 2024, Ahmad Patel’s son Faizal Patel stated today that it is necessary to ally with opposition parties to give a strong challenge to the BJP. In Gujarat, discussions are underway between AAP and Congress for an alliance. Meanwhile, deliberations are ongoing in Delhi regarding the alliance. At that time, I focused on the Congress high command’s attention that the chances of Congress winning the Bharuch seat are higher if an alliance is formed. If the alliance happens, the Bharuch seat should be given to Congress. Faizal Patel wrote on social media platform X that if AAP fields its candidate in the Bharuch seat, I will not support them.”

“Dediyapada’s MLA Chaitubhai Vasava addressed a public meeting organized in Dahod district on Sunday, stating that today’s date should be remembered as neither Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, nor Mumtaz Patel can stop me from winning the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat.”

Eight months ago, Faisal Patel had shared a photo with SIR Patel, which had stirred up political discussions as the son of Sonia Gandhi’s political advisor and Congress strategist, Ahmed Patel, unexpectedly shared a photo with BJP chief SIR Patel on social media. This incident had fueled political debates as the scion of a Congress stalwart now seemed to be leaning towards the BJP.

The Bharuch Lok Sabha seat has been under BJP’s control since the Bharuch parliamentary constituency was formed in 1989.

The Bharuch Lok Sabha seat has witnessed 17 elections since its inception, with Congress winning continuously from 1957 to 1984. Ahmed Patel contested and won Lok Sabha elections from here in 1977, 1980, and 1984. From 1989 to 2019, BJP candidates have been winning the seat. Chandubhai Deshmukh of BJP won the elections in 1989, 1991, 1996, and 1998. Since 1999, BJP’s Mansukh Vasava has been winning here.