Surat, Feb. 20: Narendra Modi's pinstripe today pocketed Rs 4.31 crore, over 40 times the Rs 10-lakh figure brandished by his rivals to pin him down.
Surat diamond baron Lalji Patel put in the winning quote, capping a dramatic three-day auction after which he said: 'The suit is so invaluable that even Rs 50 crore is inadequate.'
The suit is embroidered with the Prime Minister's name countless times.
But Patel may have been lucky after all: a Rs 5.11-crore offer was made by another aspirant, Lavji Badshah, but it came too late and Surat collector Rajendra Kumar rejected it.
Another key contender was Kamal Sharma, the Bhavnagar ship-breaking tycoon whose bid of Rs 1.41 crore was the highest till yesterday. Sharma had yesterday sent a representative. Today, he came himself, having flown in a chartered plane, and quoted Rs 2.7 crore. 'My heart told me get the suit at any price but my mind was in a dilemma.'
Mukesh Patel, a diamond trader and realtor who had quoted Rs 1.39 crore yesterday, came with a blank cheque today but appeared to have decided later that discretion was the better part of valour.
Such was the response on the closing day today that several bidders kept enhancing their bids. Patel, the winner, revised his quotes three times - from Rs 1.75 crore to Rs 2.85 crore, then to Rs 3.61 crore and finally to Rs 4.31 crore.
Patel plans to display the suit - which Modi wore during Barack Obama's visit last month - at the reception of his diamond firm. 'My company had authorised me to bid the highest to get the suit at any cost.'
The first claim, though, may go to Patel's son Hitesh, who said he wanted 'to wear the suit at least once' before it was put on display at his dad's office.
Patel brushed off the controversy over the suit and its auction - whose proceeds will be used for Modi's Clean Ganga mission. 'For me, it is a matter of faith and respect for Narendra Modi, who has initiated a great mission to clean the Ganga. My mother is a devotee of Ma Ganga,' said the businessman known for his philanthropic activities.
While Patel basked in the auction afterglow, many in Surat - Gujarat's diamond and textile hub - expressed pride that Modi had picked the city for the event. 'It's not for nothing that Surat was selected. Most businessmen here are close to Modi and the city got noticed because of the auction,' said local BJP leader Kalpesh Mehta.
Sources said BJP leaders had met top city businessmen yesterday and asked them to bid aggressively. Surat MP C.R. Patil, who played a key role in the auction, said: 'The Rs 4.3-crore bid is an answer to Modi's opponents who have accused him of wearing a Rs 10lakh suit . The suit is worth much more. The auction has proved it.'
