Congress may appoint industrialist Naresh Patel, an influential leader of the Patidar community, as its chief ministerial face in view of the assembly elections due later this year.
Party sources said the Congress is chalking out a “big strategy” for the Gujarat Assembly polls, which are crucial for the party after its defeat in five state elections. The party is out of power in Gujarat for almost 28 years and wants to strengthen its prospects in Gujarat.
Will Congress work under Prashant Kishor’s strategy?
Congress sources said the party leadership is working out a strategy for the elections and Naresh Patel may join the Congress soon. Sources said election strategist Prashant Kishor is part of the plan to project Naresh Patel as the chief ministerial candidate. Naresh Patel is a Leuva Patidar leader and the chairman of Khodaldham Trust. This trust handles the affairs of Khodaldham Mata Mandir who is the Kuldevi of Leuva Patels.
Naresh Patel to join Congress this month?
Aam Aadmi Party is also wooing Naresh Patel. Congress sources said Patel has met top Congress leadership and may join Congress during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Gujarat in April.
Sources said that Naresh Patel may be made the party’s election campaign committee head initially and he may be projected as the chief ministerial candidate as the elections approach. Naresh Patel is highly respected among the Patidar community for his social work and his influence is considered among other communities as well.
BJP will get tough competition
There is speculation that Prashant Kishor may also join the Congress soon. When asked about this, Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told a press conference that everyone is “told the time of marriage, not the time of seeing the girl”. Sources said that Kishor wants Naresh Patel to lead the Congress campaign in Gujarat, while Naresh Patel also wants the campaign to be under Kishor’s watch.
Sources said the Congress has conducted an internal survey and the results are in favor of Naresh Patel. In the last Gujarat assembly elections, the Congress gave a tough fight to the BJP. Sources said the survey showed that the party could again be in a position to give a very close contest to the BJP with suitable changes.
Problems may come for Congress here