Ahmed Patel thanks 'loyal MLAs' for victory

Congress veteran Ahmed Patel, who won a fifth term in the Rajya Sabha in a hard-fought battle with the BJP, thanked "loyal MLAs" of the party, the leadership and the workers for his victory.

Patel, who scraped through with 44 votes, also took a jibe at the BJP leadership which had sought to corner him in the fight, by appealing to God to give "everyone" good sense.

"By the grace of God and with the support of our loyal MLAs, friends, well-wishers and family I have won this election," Patel told journalists.

"I have contested five Lok Sabha elections and four Rajya Sabha elections, but this was the toughest. I don't know why they were so much after me," he wondered. "This was a tough election, but we fought it like a family."

He said the "BJP stands exposed of personal vendetta and political terror".

"Satyameva Jayate. This is not just my victory. It is a defeat of the most blatant use of money power, muscle power and abuse of state machinery," said Patel on Twitter.

Amid bursting of fire crackers and sloganeering in his favour, Ahmed Patel said, "The party will emerge stronger from this and go to the polls in the 2017 assembly elections with renewed vigour and defeat them (the BJP)."

"BJP stands exposed of personal vendetta and political terror. People of Gujarat will give them a befitting reply."

--IANS

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