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Next Aim Is Winning Gujarat Assembly Polls: Ahmed Patel
Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who retained his Rajya Sabha seat in Gujarat, today said his victory has come as a boost to the party workers and set an aim of 125 seats in the assembly polls due later this year. Mr Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, said the election was the \"toughest\" one he had ever fought in his life.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who retained his Rajya Sabha seat in Gujarat, today said his victory has come as a boost to the party workers and set an aim of 125 seats in the assembly polls due later this year. Mr Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, said the election was the "toughest" one he had ever fought in his life.
He beat BJP nominee and Congress defector Balwantinh Rajput in the bitterly-fought contest marked by defection of legislators, political manoeuvring and a see-sawing number game.
Congress workers today celebrated Mr Patel's victory by bursting crackers and distributing sweets at many places. "This was the toughest election that I have fought in my life. I thank my party leaders and my MLAs," Mr Patel told a gathering of Congress legislators at the Gandhinagar Circuit House.
The meeting was convened by Mr Patel to thank the MLAs who stood by him against "all kind of offers from the BJP", party leaders said.
"The morale of our party workers has skyrocketed after this win. With this victory, we will have to set a target of winning more than 125 seats in the coming elections. Our next target is to win the 2017 elections," Mr Patel said.
The Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for more than two decades. Winning his fifth term to the Upper House of Parliament, Mr Patel secured 44 votes, after the Election Commission invalidated the votes cast by two Congress MLAs for violating the rules.
