Post PK, Gujarat Congress leaders patch up with Hardik Patel

Congress high command has directed the Gujarat leadership to patch up with the estranged youth leader Hardik Patel. The development comes in the wake of the grand old party realising the complexities involved in roping in Naresh Patel — an influential leader of the Leuva Patel community in the Saurashtra region, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress high command has directed the Gujarat leaders to patch up with Hardik Patel as the plan to induct another Patel community leader Naresh Patel seems to have been put on the backburner. Party insiders said the proposal to induct Naresh Patel was being pushed by-poll manager Prashant Kishor but appeared to be doubtful now given the strategist and the Congress parting ways recently.

“I don’t know. You better ask Naresh Patel,” Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor told ETV Bharat when asked about the chances of Naresh Patel joining the party. Kishor reportedly wanted the Gujarat Congress to take in Naresh Patel, an influential leader of the Leuva Patel community in the Saurashtra region, to boost the party’s prospects ahead of the coming assembly polls.

Kishor had expected that Naresh would prove to be an effective counterbalance to Hardik, who had publicly expressed his displeasure with the state Congress leadership. “There is a question mark over Naresh Patel’s induction now that PK is not joining us,” a senior AICC functionary said.

Realizing that project Naresh Patel may not materialize, the party high command directed the top Gujarat leadership to patch up with the estranged young leader from the community-Hardik Patel. On Thursday, AICC in-charge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma and PCC chief Jagdish Thakor along with a host of senior state leaders attended an event to mark the first death anniversary of Hardik Patel’s father at his native place Viramgam to express solidarity with the young leader and sink their differences.

“We just went there to attend the event. There were around 5000 people. We did not hold any discussions,” Thakor said, but quickly added, “There is no problem with Hardik. We are all together. He is a senior leader and will fight the coming elections.” Patels comprise around 14-15 percent of voters in Gujarat and are considered an influential community.

After the event, Hardik too made the right noises saying he was not against the high command but only wanted his energies to be utilized properly for the benefit of Congress. The young Patel leader, who claimed he was already doing his bit, addressed a rally organized in the Tapi district on April 25 to highlight the concerns of the youth along with Indian Youth Congress national president BV Srinivas.

Both the leaders work closely with Rahul Gandhi and had been appointed by the former Congress chief. Hardik had earlier led the movement for quota in education and jobs for the Patel community, as an independent leader and later joined the Congress at Rahul’s behest.