Surat: The Union territory of Daman may not have witnessed much development in last five years, but its two-time sitting MP Lalu Patel’s assets have witnessed a two-fold increase during the same period.The election affidavit filed by Daman BJP MP, Lalu Patel, shows that his assets have increased from Rs13 crore to Rs27 crore in the last five years. However, Patel’s income tax returns show his income has decreased from Rs11 lakh in 2013-14 to Rs6 lakh in 2017.18.Lalu Patel, running for third consecutive term as BJP candidate, is a matric pass and owns a plastic manufacturing company in Daman. Patel also owns a petrol pump, a wine shop and farmland. Now, his son is looking after his businesses.In 2017, names of Patel’s wife, Taruna, and his son Gaurang had reportedly figured in Gujarat Police’s list of bootleggers. Opposition Congress had demanded that Gujarat Police arrest the mother-son duo for their alleged involvement in smuggling of liquor from Daman into Gujarat.Compared to Diu, which has emerged as a tourist destination in the last few years, mainly for its clean beaches, Daman still has the tag of being the watering hole. Except for weekends and public holidays, Daman remains deserted as it has very little to offer to tourists except for cheap liquor. Daman administration has done little to improve infrastructure facilities in Daman. The beaches in Daman, including Devka and Jampore, have not seen any development in the last one decade, except for increase in food huts that serve liquor and non-vegetarian food to tourists. Daman administrator Praful Patel and the MP have come face to face on various occasions over policy issues, including the former’s decision to remove food huts from Devka and Jampore beaches.“Daman MP is facing anti-incumbency factor and people are not very much happy with his style of working. For all these years, Lalu Patel has done nothing. He is always in the front protesting Gujarat Police’s action against wine shop owners,” said a Congress leader of Daman.

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