Mumbai: Faisal Patel, the son of the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel, wants to contest the Lok Sabha polls and has decided to convince the Congress leadership not to cede the Bharuch parliamentary constituency in Gujarat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Patel family comes from Bharuch district, which was a stronghold of Ahmed Patel. However, while hammering out the seat-sharing within the opposition INDIA alliance, it was decided that AAP would contest from the seat.
Despite his preference for the Bharuch seat, Faisal told ThePrint he would also be willing to contest the election as a Congress candidate from any other constituency if the party leadership declined his request.
“We were on the right track till this decision (to give the seat to AAP). I believe Rahul ji (Rahul Gandhi) was not shown the right picture. We will go by what the high command says because I think the INDIA alliance is important,” Faisal told ThePrint.
“I do fully understand that it is a give and take. Also, it will be easy for the party to field me from another district. My father was probably the binding force for the Congress for many years… I will contest the Lok Sabha election no matter what. At the moment, I am pretty confident the high command will understand my sincerity and value,” he added.
Ahmed Patel started his political career contesting the local body elections in Bharuch in 1976. He later represented the Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency from 1977 to 1989.
Since 1989, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has had the seat. AAP wants to field its sitting MP, Chaitar Vasava, who represents the predominantly tribal assembly seat of Dediapada in the neighbouring Narmada district, from Bharuch. Dediapada is among the seven assembly constituencies under the Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency.
Also read: Congress to play second fiddle to AAP in Delhi alliance, concedes seats in Haryana & Gujarat, too
‘Workers disappointed; will meet party leadership’
Faisal said Bharuch, this time, is a “very winnable” seat for the Congress, and Rahul Gandhi was, perhaps, given the wrong impression.
He said this is the first parliamentary election since the senior Patel died in 2020, so there is a sympathy wave for the Congress. He also said the constituency has a 37 percent tribal population and 23-24 percent minority population, which have, traditionally, been Congress vote banks.
“I am meeting Kharge ji, Sonia ji, and Rahul ji, and I am trying to change their minds. I pacified all my workers and leaders in Bharuch. They are very disappointed. I said hold on, let me speak to the leaders here,” Faisal said.
He said he has been politically active since 2009 and has done significant work, especially in the health and education sectors.
“I have been working on the ground for a very long time. My objective and vision were always to serve society from a neo-socialist mindset. What I have done in Bharuch district since 2009 through my non-profit organisations can serve as a model across the country in the healthcare and education sectors. I want to be in Parliament,” Faisal added.
‘Fine leaders pushed into a corner’
Faisal said he sees no problem with dynasty politics if the dynast proves their worth in terms of performance. “After all, children of politicians have grown up seeing political life,” he said.
The Congress has lost leaders from several long-standing dynasties to rival parties. These include Milind Deora, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Jitin Prasada.
Faisal said those leaders, unfortunately, were “pushed into a corner.”
“I know them well, and I know they have been frustrated for many years. They are fine, exceptional leaders but were all pushed into the corner. It is very sad, and it is very unfortunate,” he said, adding that he is loyal to the Congress because his ideology aligns with the party’s.