Vadodara: Rashmin Patel, who allegedly hurled a slipper at deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, seems to have become a hot potato that no party is willing to be associated with. Rashmin was in the past associated with the BJP, but his present loyalties have sparked a row.
The Vadodara rural police held Rashmin on Tuesday and declared that he was a Congress worker. But on Wednesday morning, it came to light that he was the chairman of the executive committee of the Shinor taluka panchayat for three years till 2013 from BJP. His wife Rashmi claimed that even she was a sarpanch from the BJP and they were committed to the party.
The information brought much needed relief to the Congress that started targeting the BJP saying that the slipper incident was a fallout of internal rivalries in the party. Vadodara district Congress president Sagar Brahmbhatt said that he knew that Rashmin was from BJP, but it was still not clear if it was he who had hurled the slipper.
Sagar said that there was nothing official regarding Rashmin having joined the Congress. “People are saying that the reason could be internal divisions within the party,” he added.
Later, it was the BJP’s turn to lash out and try to throw Rashmin into Congress’ lap. Former Karjan MLA from the party Satish Patel, who many believed was sulking as Akshay Patel who had defeated him was given a ticket by the party, claimed that Rashmin was from the Congress.
“He had worked against me in the 2017 assembly elections and helped Akshay,” Satish said. He added that even Akshay, contesting from BJP now, could confirm this.
State BJP general secretary Shabdasharan Brahmbhatt said that Rashmin was an active member till 2014 and was also issued a card. “He is not a member of the party now. He had problems with Satish and hence worked for the Congress,” he said adding that investigations would reveal more details.