Tough talk for poll to help politicians quit tobacco?

Minister of state for home, Satej Patil, may be taking on home minister R R Patil over tobacco chewing. A week ago, he declared the Congress will not consider candidates who consume tobacco for polls to the Kolhapur municipal corporation.

Ever since he took charge of the food and drug administration, he advocated a complete ban on consumption of tobacco within the premises of educational institutions. Now, he has taken it a step further, but the moot question is will he be able to implement it. He will have to start from none other than R R Patil. It is well-known that Patil consumes quite a huge quantity of tobacco on a daily basis. In fact a peon in his office has been entrusted with a task of preparing a special tobacco mix for the home minister.

After Patil's political mentor Sharad Pawar developed a serious health problem due to his tobacco habit, Patil declared he will quit tobacco. A few months later when he was still found consuming tobacco, he was warned by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. A close aide hoped that while a warning by the Pawars failed, his deputy's new formula will prompt Patil to quit tobacco.