"No Betrayal": Ahmed Patel's Daughter After AAP Gets Bharuch Lok Sabha Seat

The Bharuch seat in Gujarat was won by Ahmed Patel in the 1977, 1980, and 1984 general elections, but has been held by the BJP since then, with Chandubhai Deshmukh and Mansukhbhai Vasava dominating for Prime Minister Modi's party.

Congress leader Mumtaz Patel confessed to "disappointment", but dismissed talk of "betrayal", after the Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat's Bharuch - held by her father, Ahmed Patel, between 1977 and 1984 - was given to the Aam Aadmi Party as part of a pan-India accord before the general election. 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 @INCIndia stronger .We won't let @ahmedpatel 45 years of Legacy go in vain. #bharuchkibeti

Ms Patel told NDTV she understood the Congress faced certain compulsions in negotiating the seat-sharing deal with the AAP, which will also contest Gujarat's Bhavnagar. The Congress will contest the other 24, as the two bid to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party from a third successive clean sweep.

"Of course, I'm not going to deny I was deeply disappointed and upset... but I was told alliance talks at a pan-India level would not progress without the Bharuch seat being first settled," she told NDTV.