Bangalore: 38-year-old Indian British doctor Neeraj Patil, who has been "chosen" by the Labour Party to contest Parliamentary elections from Surrey constituency, today said he "plan to be the voice of Indian community in the UK".

"There is a large Indian community in Britain and they need to be heard. They need a voice and I plan to be that voice," said Patil, who is pitched against Conservative Education Minister Michal Gove in the parliamentary elections, due to be held in May 2009.

Patil, who is in India at the moment on a visit to his ancestral village Kamalapur in Gulbarga district in Karnataka, told reporters that if elected, his priority would be to ensure quality, safe and easy accessibility to health care for the Indian community and the general voters. Strengthening of Indo-UK ties would be on top of the list, Neeraj said, adding that he would take up the issue of equality and social justice if elected to the Parliament.

"The Indian community in Britain must positively contribute to the development of society. For this, each with potential must be given a fair opportunity," he said. The first timer in parliamentary polls said he would highlight the successful track record of the Labour party as against the "failure" of the Conservatives when in power.

Neeraj joins the ranks of popular parliamentarians of Indian origin like Dadabhai Naoroji, Plara Khabra and Keith Vaz by contesting a parliamentary seat in Britain.

Source : PTI