Will Praful Patel's wife Varsha contest next LS polls?

BHANDARA: The show of strength during women's self help groups (SHGs) massive programme in Sendurwafa, about 50 kms from district centre, was a clear indiciation of projecting Varsha Patel, wife of Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, as the probable candidate for Lok Sabha from Bhandara seat.

A mammoth crowd of women turned up yesterday in the tiny village which was addressed by Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare Ranuka Choudhary, her colleage Suryakanta Patil, Supriya Sule, MP, and daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and former Minister of State Sulekha Kumbhare and Varsha Patel.

Though Patel himself appeared on the dias for a brief but spent most of the time in make shift greenroom behind the stage.

All the speakers, while lauding the efforts of Varsha Patel in providing support to women self help groups in the district asked her to contest next Lok Sabha election from Bhandara. At times she tried to display surprise over her projection but soon settled on her vertual launching.

Kumbhare, who drifted away from Congress-NCP alliance some time back during Nagpur-South assembly by-election and later extended support to state BJP president Nitin Gadkari during Graduate Constituency polls last year, seems to have mended her ways and back in the fold.

She was extended invitation to attend the programme quite late as her name and photographs were missing from the big posters put up in the district.

Later Patel told the media that his wife was already involved in the developmental and social activities in Bhandara and stood solidly behind him in carrying out responsibilities.

He was, however, non-commital over her vertual launching into political arena.