Bharuch Lok Sabha elections 2024: Bharuch, one of 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, will witness the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) versus I.N.D.I.A bloc poll fight. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) got the seat as a part of sheat-sharing with Congress. The BJP backed its sitting MP Mansukhbhai D Vasava, while AAP fielded young leader and a first-time MLA Chaitar Vasava. Congress’ announcement that the seat was given to AAP ended the expectation of Ahmed Patel’s family as Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel was hoping for a ticket. The seat was once stronghold of Congress under Ahmed Patel’s leadership till 1989. Now, the seat belongs to the BJP.
The South Gujarat constituency is not a reserved seat yet it is being represented by a tribal leader and six-time MP Mansukhbhai. He has been an MP from Bharuch since 1998. The party once again fielded him to take on AAP's young turk.
Congress workers unhappy
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party last month agreed on a seat-sharing formula in Gujarat under which the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit will contest from the Bharuch and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats. However, the decision did not go down well with Faisal Patel and Mumtaz Patel, the son and daughter of Congress leader late Ahmed Patel, who had won from the Bharuch seat three times in the 1970s and 1980s.
While AAP candidate from Bharuch Chaitar claimed his victory from the seat will be a tribute to Ahmed Patel, the late leader's son Faisal Patel said Congress workers were not happy with the decision to cede the seat under the INDIA alliance agreement.
Mumtaz Patel, meanwhile, issued an apology on social media to Congress workers and asked them to regroup to strengthen the party.
"Deeply apologize to our district cadre for not being able to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in alliance. I share your disappointment. Together, we will regroup to make @INCIndia stronger. We won't let @ahmedpatel 45 years of Legacy go in vain.
#bharuchkibeti," she said in a post on X.
AAP Dediapada MLA Vasava thanked his party's leadership for choosing him as the candidate from Bharuch.
As per the seat-sharing agreement reached between the Congress and AAP, the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit will contest from Bharuch and Bhavnagar, while the remaining 24 will be fought by the Congress.
Bharuch Lok Sabha election 2019
Mansukhbhai won the Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency with a margin of 3,34,214 votes in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The senior BJP leader defeated Congress cadndiate Sherkhan Abdulsakur by securing 6,37,795 votes. While Congress leader Abdulsakur got 3,03,581 votes.
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