JOIN USHardik Patel denies joining BJP, but ‘unhappy with state leadership’
Gujarat Congress’ working president and Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Monday triggered a fresh round of speculations over joining the ruling BJP after he removed mention of Congress from his WhatsApp display picture and put a picture of himself with a saffron shawl.
He later claimed that he was not joining any other party but reiterated that he was unhappy with state leadership for “ignoring” him and not giving him any responsibility despite the Assembly polls at hand.
“People will talk a lot. I praised Joe Biden when he won US polls as the vice-president was of Indian origin. Does it mean that I am joining his party? If a rival is good and there is something praiseworthy, you need to keep that in mind too, in politics. If they are decisive, we also need to do that. We need to make quick decisions, and if you waste time, people will go away [sic],” Patel told reporters in Tapi on the sideline of a rally.
He told DH, “Unlike the senior party leaders, the young party leaders like me a lot. They had invited me to attend the event.”
Sources said “about 10 to 12 Congress leaders including MLAs are negotiating with the BJP for tickets to contest the Assembly polls as a condition of joining them. The list includes Hardik and a former chief whip of the Congress.”
When asked about the reports of him joining BJP or AAP, he denied it and said, "All I want to do is to serve the people of the state. Earlier, through agitation for reservation I served the community. I want to work but these leaders are not letting me do that." Without naming these leaders, Patel said that they have been holding the posts of state presidentship and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) for 30 years.
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