Mumbai: From a member of Block Panchayat in Hingoli district of the underdeveloped Marathwada region to chairman of Congress party's Screening Committee for Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections, Rajeev Satav, 45, has come a long way. Satav's appointment comes at a time when Congress is a divided house and has no member in the Delhi assembly.
Congress, which failed to form an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party, went solo and lost all 7 seats in Delhi in the Lok Sabha election. Satav, who is a close confidant of Congress party's former president Rahul Gandhi, was chosen considering his active role in Gujarat and Punjab assembly elections and also his participation in UP, Gujarat and other states in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Satav told FPJ, "With the selection of right candidates, the Congress will do well in Delhi assembly election. Will work collectively to ensure a party's victory.''
Satav was an active team member led by a veteran leader Ashok Gehlot during the Gujarat assembly election held in 2017 when he travelled extensively. Congress put up a strong fight against BJP to win the maximum seats. His appointment as in-charge of Gujarat after his stint as the AICC secretary in charge of Saurashtra region came handy to revive the party. As member of the party's screening committee for the Punjab assembly election held the same year, he was instrumental for Congress defeating Akali Dal.
Satav hogged limelight after he defeated Subhash Wankhede, Shiv Sena MP and a three-time MLA. He snatched Kalamnuri Assembly seat from Sena after 20 years in 2009 polls. Later, Gandhi chose Satav from Hingoli in 2014 polls when he defeated Subhash Wankhede by 1,600 votes despite the Modi wave. He was one of the two Congress candidates to win from Maharashtra, other being ex-CM Ashok Chavan.
