Why does Ahmed Patel's family have no claim over Bharuch seat?

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Chaitar Vasava can give a tough fight to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Bharuch Lok Sabha as he has been active in the constituency for a long time. 

Chaitar, a legislator from Dediapada assembly segment, is an influential tribal leader of the region. He is the AAP legislative party leader in the Gujarat assembly. 

On December 14 last year, Chaitar was arrested for allegedly threatening forest officers and opening fire in the air while trying to resolve an issue on the cultivation of forest land by local tribals in Gujarat's Narmada district.

His wife Shakuntala, personal secretary, and another person named in the First Information Report (FIR) have also been arrested in connection with the case.

They were booked under various Sections of the Indian Police Code (IPC) related to rioting, extortion, and attack on government officials and under relevant provisions of the Arms Act for confronting forest department personnel called to his residence to discuss the issue of encroachment on forest land.

The incident took place on October 30 last year, while the FIR was registered at the Dediapada police station on November 2.

AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had during his last visit to Gujarat on January 7 named Chaitar as the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Bharuch. He along with Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann later met him in jail.

Chaitar has been fighting for water, forests, land, schools, and hospitals, and his arrest has angered the tribals who have raised a banner of revolt against the BJP government. 

On the other hand, Congress leaders feel that the son (Faisal Patel) and daughter (Mumtaz Patel) of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel cannot stake any claim to the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat as they had been away for a long time and returned to their hometown only after their father's death in November 2020. 

Faisal has met leaders of various political parties in the past two years to make his presence felt. He met Kejriwal and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, and his pictures with Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil went viral on social media, triggering speculation about his future move. 

Congress sources did not rule out Faisal joining the BJP, especially after his close friend and one-time business partner Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony, had already joined the saffron party. 

However, his sister Mumtaz is unlikely to leave the Congress and could be given a role in the organisation. 

The chances of the BJP fielding Faisal from Bharuch are equally dim. 

Ahmed Patel had thrice won from Bharuch in 1977, 1980 and 1984. After that, the seat has been with the BJP for the past 35 years. 

BJP leader Mansukhbhai Vasava has represented the seat for six times in a row from 1998 onwards. Prior to him, his party colleague Chandubhai Deshmukh held the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat from 1989 to 1998.

Due to its repeated defeats from the constituency, the Congress was not in a position to claim the seat.

However, Chaitar said a win for the INDIA alliance in Bharuch will be a tribute to the late Ahmed Patel.