Hardik Patel, the youth leader from Patel community, who recently had left the Congress, has been continuously lashing out at the grand old party. Today, in an interview to The Indian Express, Hardik Patel has said that the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections would be “one-sided” and easy victory for the BJP. While praising the tenure of the BJP, Hardik said, “BJP has brought development, peace and security. The people of Gujarat have understood that there is peace and security in the BJP regime because before that they saw riots. They have seen that in the last 20-22 years, nothing has happened”.
He said that there have been some small instances of corruption, but nothing major in the state capital Gandhi Nagar for the last 30 years. Though he blamed the Congress party for being ineffective and not protesting against any possible corruption in the BJP regime. When asked about the new emerging party AAP in Gujarat, he said, “the national leaders of the AAP are constantly travelling, and they are more in the media limelight even for the smallest things. The AAP’s strategy is definitely better than that of the Congress party”.
Taking a dig at the Congress party, he said, “the Congress talked in a well manner with me before I joined, but then saw me as a competitor. I organised all the meetings myself, but did you see even a picture of the working president in any of the party posters? Was the working president just a lollipop? They didn’t even call me to any of the important meetings, didn’t consult. No Congress leader came to see me when my father died last year,” he alleged.
He even questioned the Gandhis. He said, “even the Gandhi family wants to keep Gujarat’s Patels at arm’s length, because of whatever happened with Sardar Patel saheb. Vitthal Radadiya, why was he not made a Union minister? Because he was a strong Patidar. Dinsha Patel was never made a cabinet minister, only minister of state, he had a big role in keeping the identity of Sardar Patel alive.” He even cleared that the perception of “Hardik Patel close to Rahul Gandhi” is completely false. “He has not given me time more than twice. I was upset with Rahul Gandhi for giving more time to independent MLA Jignesh Mevani after he had been arrested,” he further added. When asked about the political options, he said, “when the elections come, you will see me in an important role.” Though he refrained from any specifics and said, “When it is decided, you will know.”
In the 2017 assembly elections, the three youth leaders – Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakor, played a major role behind the Congress’ performance of 78 seats against 99 of BJP. Though later on, Alpesh Thakor quit the Congress party and contested the by-election but lost to the Congress candidate. Meanwhile, Hardik Patel has now quit the grand old party and it’s predicted that he may join the BJP or the AAP soon. On the other hand, the independent MLA Jignesh Mevani is still seen supporting the Congress party. But the recent political developments and inactivity of the cadre as well as the Congress leadership in Gujarat, is making it more difficult for the party to even give a fight to the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections.
