'Revenge of The Prince': BJP Taunts Congress For Compromising Ahmed Patel's Bharuch Seat to AAP

BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill on Friday said the Congress’ decision to give Gujarat’s Bharuch constituency to the Aam Aadmi Party in the seat-sharing deal for the upcoming Lok Sabha poll is the ‘revenge of the Prince’, alluding to the contrast between the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel and Rahul Gandhi

“Handing over long standing stronghold of Sh Ahmed Patel, who gave his life to Congress Party, to AAP is the revenge of the “Prince”!,” said former Congress leader and current BJP spokesperson Shergill in a social media post on X.

INDIA bloc allies– Aam Aadmi Party and Congress– finalised their seat-sharing deal in Delhi, Haryana, Goa and Gujarat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a joint statement, both parties said they have mutually decided to not contest the polls together in Punjab.

In Gujarat, Congress will contest 24 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats, while AAP will field candidates on 2 seats–Bharuch and Bhavnagar.

Upset with the decision to field an AAP candidate from the Bharuch seat, which had been a stronghold for Congress and was represented by Ahmad Patel thrice from 1977 to 1984, the late Congress leader’s son Faisal Ahmed, along with several party leaders, urged the ‘party high command’ on Thursday to name its own candidate from the tribal-dominated constituency.

Patel’s daughter and Congress leader Mumtaaz Patel also expressed dissatisfaction on social media, asserting that she won’t let her father’s “45 years of legacy go in vain.”

“Deeply apologize to Our district cadre for not being able to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in alliance. I share your disappointment. Together, we will regroup to make Congress. We won’t let Ahmed Patel’s 45 years of Legacy go in vain. #bharuchkibeti,” Mumtaaz wrote.

Responding to Mumtaz’s post, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said the Congress’ move was intended to erase Ahmed Patel’s legacy and humiliate his family.

Malviya wrote, “In the Congress, one dynasty is more equal than the others. Everyone knows of the differences between late Ahmed Patel and Rahul Gandhi. Giving away Bharuch to AAP is Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to erase his legacy and humiliate the family. Gandhis believe in use and throw.”

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi had apparently spoken to Mumtaz’s brother, Faizal, and assured him that Bharuch would be theirs. Reacting to the seat-sharing formula, Faisal Patel said, “Hope Rahul Gandhi will re-think his decision.”