Ahmedabad, 22 March 2014

Sitting BJP MP of Ahmedabad(East) seat Harin Pathak today said his thousands of supporters are pained with the news that he is denied ticket. Pathak said he will address a press conference on Sunday around noon at his residence and give his reaction.

“Around 5-7,000 supporters have visited my house in last three days. They are hurt. What I’m feeling will be known to you tomorrow at 11.30 during my briefing to media at my residence,” Pathak said.

He added that he will reply every question of media in his briefing.

Visibly upset Pathak further said, “I have heard that I’m denied ticket, but I will still wait for official announcement.”

It should be mentioned that Gujarat BJP parliamentary board had denied ticket to Pathak in 2009 general elections and suggested Kaushik Patel’s name. However in Delhi parliamentary board meeting, Advani and Sushma reversed state unit decision and gave him ticket.

Pathak is considered loyalist of Advani whom he calls ‘dada’.

In February 28 DeshGujarat observed:

Those journalists friendly to Pathak know how much Pathak is worried over party ticket issue this time! Gujarat BJP had denied ticket to Advani loyalist Pathak in year 2009, replacing him with Modi-loyalist Kaushik Patel. However party’s national parliamentary board, particularly Sushma and Advani backed Pathak and overruled the state unit decision. Thus Pathak got chance to contest again from Ahmedabad seat. Pathak was not absolutely necessary to win Ahmedbad seat again. Anyone else could win from this seat on BJP ticket. Pathak has been elected from Ahmedabad seat(lastly Ahmedabad-East seat) for last seven terms, majorly just because he is BJP candidate. He has got all that one could imagine from political life. During the last assembly elections Pathak was assigned the task to ensure victory for party on Dehgam seat which is part of Pathak’s Lok Sabha constituency, but Pathak couldn’t deliver Dehgam to party. Yes Pathak is experienced, active, former minister of state, and his office in the basement of his house in Maninagar area serves local people/visitors efficiently, but the question is, after one person is given chance to enjoy the position for seven terms, shouldn’t anyone else from thousands of other workers get chance? Yes in two cases a single person should get chance repeatedly till the end of his life – (1) if only he and he can ensure victory on that particular seat for party, and (2) he is absolutely important for party and nation for greater common good. Pathak doesn’t fall in first category, at least when it comes to Ahmedabad(East) seat. If party believes he fits in the second category, purely in terms of seat, party has nothing to lose, under BJP’s banner he will win.

Three days back DeshGujarat observed:

If Harin Pathak is sacrificed, it is likely that Modi may field some Brahmin candidate. Modi loyalist actor Paresh Rawal fits in this space. From voter’s perspective, Harin Pathak is better choice compared to Paresh Rawal. That’s because Pathak’s office deals with local people very efficiently. His trained and experienced staff is able to easily handle daily visitors and help them.

Will give one example. There’s VIP quota provision in railway reservations. All you need is a recommendation of MP on his/her letter-head. People from Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad(West) and Ahmedabad(East) – all three Lok Sabha constituencies prefer to go to Harin Pathak’s office(which functions in basement of his flat) to have such letter. That’s because Ahmedabad(West)(SC reserve) MP is hardly known to majority of his voters. He is elected purely due to BJP tag. His functioning is not efficient. General people and even many party men can hardly figure out where he lives actually in Ahmedabad! The MP of Gandhinagar(major parts of western side of Ahmedabad are under Gandhinagar seat) Shri L K Advani visits his constituency three-four times a year without night-halt! Has he an efficiently functional office in his constituency even? We have never heard about it! Only person left is Harin Pathak who is approachable, whose office works every morning for needy visitors. Paresh Raval now owns a flat in Western side of Ahmedabad, but will he be accessible to general public like Pathak? Will he shift his base from Mumbai to Ahmedabad? Perhaps no!

Just to add, if you put it in purely winability perspective, yes any other person on BJP ticket will win Ahmedabad(East) seat, be it Brahmin or not, be it Harin Pathak or Paresh Rawal or anyone else from BJP this time. The question is not winability. Paresh Rawal will bring positive wave to overall election through his presence, speeches and campaign. He is good orator. From election point of view he is good, but for post-election five years period? Well this question is again just as per the voters perspective, and not national perspective. So what is national perspective, and how Paresh Rawal fits in that?

Well, Uttar Pradesh and overall northern Indian belt has good number of Brahmin voters. Brahmins are in capacity to change verdict on several seats in those areas. Paresh Rawal is one of the most famous Brahmins in India. If Rawal is fielded as candidate from any seat, it shall be noticed nationally. Rawal has worked for BJP extensively during Gujarat assembly elections campaign in 2012. His effective campaign in favour of Modi was one of the talking points during Gujarat elections. Recently pro-Congress and pro-Aap twitter handles had created a trend on twitter painting Modi as anti-Brahmin. Modi replacing two Brahmin candidates in Varanasi and Vadodara is also being highlighted by anti-Modi segment of mainstream media in Uttar Pradesh(Amar Ujala newspaper had a report on this) and Delhi(news channel studios discuss it and pseudo intellectual panelists like Siddharth Varadrajan raise this issue). Rawal’s campaign will be covered by media and help in balancing this vicious propaganda. If he becomes BJP candidate, it will be good for party beyond one seat and one state. That may not happen in Harin Pathak’s case.