In a major setback to the Congress ahead of the Gujarat elections, the party’s state unit working president Hardik Patel on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the party. Hardik Patel has targeted the top leadership after resigning from the primary membership of the party. Hardik Patel was said to be angry for a long time and he did not even reach the party’s Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.
Hardik Patel has targeted the top leadership without naming them and said that they lack seriousness about any issue. He said whenever he met the top leadership, his focus was on his own things more than the people of Gujarat and their problems. Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi without naming him, Hardik said that when the country was in trouble or the party needed leadership the most, our leaders were abroad.
At the same time, Hardik also targeted the Gujarat Congress leaders and said, “The big leaders of Gujarat, away from the issues of the public, pay more attention to whether the leader from Delhi got his chicken sandwich on time or not. The Congress party has broken the trust of the youth and that is the reason no one wants to be seen with the youth Congress today.”
Rahul Gandhi had made Hardik Patel the working president of Gujarat Congress within a year, after which this thing was difficult to digest for those leaders who had been serving the party for years. Apart from late MP Ahmed Patel, Hardik was the only Gujarat Congress leader to be made a star campaigner in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. He was also given a helicopter to reach the rally site. “Naturally, Hardik’s entry into the party and his immediate appointment as working president has upset some in the party,” said a Congress leader. He also said that Hardik needs to adjust himself in the party.
In an interview to The Indian Express a year ago, Hardik Patel had said that his recommendations for distribution of tickets during the local body elections were not considered by the party. Hardik has been accusing the party’s state unit leaders of not supporting him in the past as well. Hardik Patel had questioned the “delay” in getting Naresh Patel to join the Congress. At the same time, after resigning, Hardik Patel has not indicated at the moment that under the banner of which party he will take forward his political journey.
Speculation intensifies to join BJP
However, there is speculation that he may join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Last month, he was read aloud in praise of the BJP leadership and said that the BJP is strong in the state as they have leadership with decision-making ability. Hardik Patel had started a state-wide agitation demanding reservation in jobs and education for his community. Thereafter he emerged as a prominent Patidar leader.