Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday dodged a question of whether anti-Gujarat ‘activist’ Medha Patkar is the party’s CM face for the upcoming assembly polls.
When one of the journalists present at the press conference asked if Medha Patkar, the famed ‘activist’ known for her ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ against the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river, will be the CM face of AAP, Kejriwal sidestepped the question and asked the journalist to ask BJP if they are planning to have Sonia Gandhi as PM candidate after PM Modi.
“I have heard that the BJP is going to anoint Sonia Gandhi as PM candidate after Modi Ji. Ask them what are their views on it. Tell them, Kejriwal has accused that you are going to make Sonia Gandhi the successor of PM Modi for the post of Prime Minister,” Kejriwal said while circumventing the question of whether AAP has chosen Medha Patkar to be CM candidate in Gujarat.
Kejriwal’s evasive manoeuvres over the chief ministerial face of AAP stem from the apprehensions about the prospect of Medha Patkar’s elevation to a leadership role in the state evoked among party cadres.
Medha Patkar’s name as AAP CM face in Gujarat stirs trouble
Earlier this month, reports had emerged that anti-Gujarat ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ ‘activist’ Medha Patkar would be the chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat for AAP. This came as a surprise to many because till now it was AAP Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi who was believed to be the favourite candidate. However, things got more wind when AAP MP Sanjay Singh retweeted a video hailing Medha Patkar and the same was later amplified by Isudan Gadhvi.
However, sources in the know said that after the reports emerged that Medha Patkar will likely be the chief minister candidate for AAP in Gujarat, 13 out of 19 leaders who were given AAP tickets for upcoming elections had decided to quit the party. Kejriwal going to reportedly hold a meeting to pacify the leaders.
Therefore, when a journalist asked about reports that said Medha Patkar might be the CM face of AAP in Gujarat, Kejriwal cleverly dodged answering the question and instead came up with an absurd allegation that Sonia Gandhi will be the PM candidate from the BJP.
Why Medha Patkar is considered a pariah in the state of Gujarat
Medha Patkar is not the most liked person in Gujarat because of her anti-Gujarat stand especially her role in stalling the Sardar Sarovar Dam work which kept Gujarat dry for decades. Parts of Gujarat are just receiving Narmada water because the dam height work was stalled by the likes of Patkar. Obviously, the people of Gujarat have not forgiven her.
Patkar had earlier joined Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 ahead of general elections but had eventually resigned from the party in 2015. And while she has not officially announced her return to mainstream politics, Aam Aadmi Party has also not denied in as many words that Medha Patkar will not be the CM candidate for the party in upcoming polls.
Medha Patkar, over and above having an anti-Gujarat stand, is also accused of misusing funds. An FIR was lodged against her in July this year accusing her of misappropriating funds. Prior to this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also filed an FIR against activist Medha Patkar on April 5 this year for suspected money laundering during the “Narmada Bachao Andolan”. In addition to the ED, investigations into Patkar’s shady dealings have also been initiated by the Department of Revenue Intelligence and the Income Tax Department.
If her credentials are anything to go by, Medha Patkar is a match made in heaven for the Aam Aadmi Party. Kejriwal’s refusal to proffer an unambiguous denial over Patkar being the Gujarat CM face for the party only strengthens the reports that the anti-Gujarat ‘activist’ might be in serious contention for being the party’s CM nominee for upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.