Gujarat Congress Spokesperson Manhar Patel sulks after denial of ticket on Botad seat

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Congress Spokesperson Manhar Patel has sulked after denial of ticket to contest from Botad assembly seat. Patel was given Botad ticket in 2017 polls but later when his procession to file a nomination form was proceeding he was denied ticket.

Later he was given a chance to contest the Lok Sabha election on Bhavnagar seat in 2019. Botad assembly seat is the part of Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seat. However, in Botad itself, Mahnar Patel got over 35,000 lesser votes than a rival BJP candidate.

Manhar Patel is now seeking Congress nod to contest from Botad. The party last evening declared the name of Ramesh Mer as Botad candidate. Mer is the district Congress chief. The party decided to field Ramesh Mer as the cadres had demanded local candidate. Local community equation also goes in favor of Mer.

Manhar Patel has meanwhile declared himself as a true candidate of the Congress party on Botad seat. He has in his tweet asked the Congress party to rethink on Botad ticket allocation and stated that the party’s decision (to allocate ticket to someone else) is not acceptable to him and repeat of 2017 with him is not in the larger interest of the party. Manhar Patel has also played Patidar caste card. In another tweet he has stated that he is going to meet the State party in charge Ashok Gehlot with Patidar community leaders.

After meeting Mr. Gehlot, Manhar Patel said Gehlot asked him to meet the State party chief. Patel said he will meet his supporters in Botad and take the decision on what to do next. He gave a hint that he would contest as a non-Congress, non-AAP, non-BJP candidate. He said he may contest as a candidate without wearing any party scarf.

Patel has anyway no chance to join BJP or AAP, as both parties have declared their candidates on Botad already and even campaigning has started. Manhar Patel had joined Congress in 2017 after resigning from Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Patel was Spokesperson of NCP when he resigned and joined Congress.

૧૦૭-બોટાદ વિધાનસભાનો કોંગ્રેસ પક્ષનો હુ સાચો ઉમેદવાર છુ, કોંગ્રેસ પક્ષ મારા નામ પર ફેર વિચારણા કરે..મારા જેવા પક્ષને સમપિઁત આગેવાન સાથે પક્ષનો નિણઁય સ્વીકાયઁ નથી,મારી સાથે ૨૦૧૭ નુ પુનરાવતઁન થયુ …જે પક્ષના વિશાળ હિતમા નથી..@RamkishanO @RaghusharmaINC @ashokgehlot51 @RahulGandhi

— Manhar Patel (@inc_manharpatel) November 12, 2022

બોટાદ જીલ્લાના કોંગ્રેસના કાયઁકરો અને ગુજરાત કોંગ્રેસના પાટીદાર સમાજના વરિષ્ઠ આગેવાનો શ્રી ગેહલોત સાહેબને અમદાવાદ ખાતે સવારે ૮ વાગ્યે મળશે…@ashokgehlot51 @RamkishanO @RahulGandhi @kcvenugopalmp

— Manhar Patel (@inc_manharpatel) November 12, 2022