Hardik Patel lends support to SP-BSP alliance

Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Thursday shared stage with Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and called for ''strengthening'' the ''anti-BJP'' alliance to ''defeat'' the saffron party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

''BJP has huge resources....we need to strengthen the secular alliance....we will have to fight the BJP at booth level,'' Hardik said.

The Patidar leader from Gujarat said that he had not yet decided about contesting the LS polls. ''I am yet to take a decision on contesting...I want to support hose, who are fighting the BJP,'' he remarked.

He said that he would be travelling to other states in the country and campaign against the saffron party.

Hardik questioned the ''Gujarat Model'' of the BJP and claimed that the farmers were committing suicide in Gujarat owing to the 'faulty'' policies of the BJP government.

SP sources said that Hardik would be asked to campaign in the areas dominated by the 'Patels' (Kurmis), especially in the eastern UP districts. Currently, the alliance does not have any strong 'Kurmi' leader and the SP leaders hope to make a dent into the 'kurmi' votes through Hardik.