Faisal Patel, son of late senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, said Tuesday that he is keeping his “options open” amid “no encouragement from top brass”, an apparent reference to top Congress leadership.
“Tired of waiting around. No encouragement from the top brass. Keeping my options open,” he tweeted.
In the past, Patel has made contrasting remarks about his interest in electoral politics. In January last year, weeks after Ahmed Patel’s demise, junior Patel said he will not join active politics and continue to follow his father’s “true legacy” of “working for the downtrodden and underprivileged.”
"Finally decided-I will not be joining active politics. I will continue to work on my existing social initiatives in Health care, education and technology. Late Ahmed Patel ji's true legacy was working for the downtrodden and underprivileged. I pledge to continue doing so. #wemissahmedpatel," Faisal had tweeted.
A few days later, the Harvard Business School alumnus said he "will enter electoral politics if the (Congress) party high command asks."
"If the high command wishes, I will also fight elections. Preferably from Bharuch, because that is my area," he added when asked if he would contest the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls.
{{/usCountry}}"If the high command wishes, I will also fight elections. Preferably from Bharuch, because that is my area," he added when asked if he would contest the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls.
{{/usCountry}}Political parties have started working on their poll campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections, with Aam Aadmi Party now planning to form an alliance with tribal leader Chottu Vasava led Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP). Citing the AAP's internal survey, the Gujarat assembly election debutant claimed it would win 58 seats.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had held a Tiranga Yatra in Ahmedabad last week. The Gujarat BJP made light of the roadshow, with state minister Jitu Vaghani calling Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann “tourists”.
“Gujarat welcomes everybody. But the people of Gujarat love nobody other than the BJP. Under the leadership of CM Bhupendra Patel, we will win the 2022 polls. They (Kejriwal and Mann) are tourists. One of them is the mayor of a large city," Vaghani taunted.