State BJP chief CR Patil files Lok Sabha candidature from Navsari

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for the Navsari Lok Sabha constituency, Chandrakant Raghunath Patil, widely known as CR Patil, has filed his nomination today.

State’s finance minister and MLA from Valsad’s Pardi assembly seat, Kanu Desai, was also in presence.

It is noteworthy that Patil failed to file his nomination on Apr 18 after missing out on an auspicious time as per the mahurat of 12.39 p.m.

CR Patil is a three-time MP and the president of the BJP’s Gujarat unit.

He is noted for being the first non-Gujarati to hold this influential position.

Giving CR Patil a fight is the Congress candidate Naishadh Desai, a seasoned politician known for his congenial persona and active role in the grand old party’s television debate team.

CR Patil’s track record

CR Patil’s political journey began in local politics as the BJP treasurer for Surat city, followed by a stint as the vice president.

His leadership skills were recognised early when he was appointed chairman of Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) in 1998 by chief minister Keshu Patel.

CR Patil’s poll track record is impressive, with some of the most significant victory margins in Indian electoral history.

In 2014, he was elected with a margin of 558,116 votes, the third highest nationwide. He surpassed this record in 2019, winning by a margin of 689,668 votes - the second-highest ever recorded.

Under his leadership, the BJP secured a victory in the recent state elections, winning 156 out of 182 seats.

This victory was significant, although it fell short of CR Patil’s assertion that he would resign if the BJP won even a single seat less than the total.

(With inputs from IANS)