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Lok Sabha polls 2019: I had to contest this time, says Sujay Vikhe Patil
As Ahmedabad goes to the polls on April 23, Sujay spoke to HT about his decision to join the BJP, his election prospects, and regret over the way his move could impact his father’s political career.
Sujay Vikhe Patil, the son of Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, created quite a flutter in political circles when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in March and was then fielded as the party’s Ahmednagar candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. The 36-year-old neurosurgeon’s decision came after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) refused to concede the seat to the Congress as it was part of its seat-sharing agreement. As Ahmedabad goes to the polls on April 23, Sujay spoke to HT about his decision to join the BJP, his election prospects, and regret over the way his move could impact his father’s political career.
You are a neurosurgeon by qualification, so why this shift to politics? Was it always on your agenda because of your family?
Political career was not on my agenda. In 2009, we faced a setback of sorts when my father won the elections from our constituency, but only with a margin of 9,000 votes. He had a narrow escape. I started working with him in the constituency then, reaching out to people. In 2014, even during the Narendra Modi wave, my father won the Vidhan Sabha elections with a vote margin of 75,000. This happened thanks to his and also my contributions. That was when I realised that people accept me as a leader and I can make a real difference.
Why the insistence on contesting Lok Sabha 2019 polls?
As far as the Lok Sabha elections go, my grandfather (former MP, late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil) always told me that if you want to make a real difference or bring about development, become a Member of Parliament and go to Delhi. He used to say that’s where the real policy-making happens and funds come from. So, I started working in Ahmednagar constituency. In the last three years, I have covered more than 65 per cent of the constituency. After so much work, I expected that the seat would be left for the Congress.
Why did you choose the BJP and not contest on NCP ticket, considering it is a Congress ally?
I had two options (NCP and BJP). Why would I join the NCP? It’s a sinking ship. I don’t believe in any ideology. My ideology as a doctor is to help anyone who is poor, who needs medical care, irrespective of their caste or religion. I carry this ideology to politics as well. But, I also want self-respect. The party which I work for should have given me self-respect.
On the other hand, chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis always treated me so well. But, the decision (to join BJP) was made after the Pulwama attack and the Indian Air Force’s air strikes. I think national security comes first and any Indian who would have heard the news of the IAF strikes cannot help but feel proud of our prime minister (PM).
Do you regret the way things have unfolded because it has, in a way, jeopardised your father’s career?
There is regret. I had stayed with the Congress even after knowing that people would prefer the BJP. That’s because, for me, my father’s career came first. If Congress would have come to power, he as the leader of the Opposition, could have even become the CM of the state. There is a perception that you may not get all the support from the BJP in Ahmednagar. For starters, one of the MLAs is the father-in-law of your contender.
At the end of the day, politics is based on trust. You have to trust the people you work with. I trust the BJP. This is also a fight between two different ideologies and two candidates. It doesn’t matter who is related to whom, or who is unhappy. I always have said in my rallies that let everyone gang up against me. People want to vote for PM Modi and CM Fadnavis. If people choose me, I will develop Ahmednagar to another level. If not, I will go back to running my hospital and still work for the people who have been with me.
