He’s been the country’s most visible civil aviation minister, but for his constituents, the savvy Praful Patel has just been a face on TV screens — a million miles away.
He’s been the country’s most visible civil aviation minister, but for his constituents, the savvy Praful Patel has just been a face on TV screens — a million miles away. This is one of the three challenges that lie before the Cong-NCP candidate from the Gondia-Bhandara constituency in his attempt to win the seat.
This apart, the minister will have to tackle two other problems —- his constituency’s changed configuration after delimitation and the rebel candidature of former Congress MLA Nana Patole. With these factors taken together, this election could be Patel’s toughest test yet.
Patel, who won the election thrice – 1991, 1996 and 1998 but lost in 2004, belongs to the family that dominated the bidi-manufacturing sector here. His father Manoharbhai, set up CJ Patel and cowhich once owned 28 bidi units in erstwhile Bhandara district (now divided into Bhandara and Gondia). These were a major source of employment to people in Gondia-Bhandara. However, by the end of 2000, most of these units were closed down which rendered lakhs of workers jobless. This is the biggest reasons for discontent in the constituency.
Apart from social discontent, Patel will have to handle the challenge created by Nana Patole, a former Congress MLA. Patole had resigned from the Assembly alleging that the Congress has done nothing for the farmers in his constituency. After this, Patole was suspended from the party and he decided to contest as an independent from Gondia-Bhandara.
Besides, Patel will have to take into account the delimitation, because of which some parts of Gadchiroli-Chimur have been included in Gondia-Bhandara and vice-versa. This could hurt Patel’s hopes since this is an area from which he got the most votes in the 2004 elections. It is now part of the Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}