Poll moves in Gujarat as parties woo Patidar leader

With so much political interest in him, Naresh, it appears, is clearly a man in demand and the reason behind is Gujarat Assembly polls

Those who keenly follow politics might have heard the name Naresh Patel popping up in news reports of late. There was speculation that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was planning to send him to the Rajya Sabha after it notched up a spectacular win in Punjab.

There were also reports that poll strategist Prashant Kishor and Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had met Naresh recently. (Kishor later denied such a meeting took place).

With so much political interest in him, Naresh, it appears, is clearly a man in demand. And the reason for this is simple: Gujarat Assembly polls.

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The Congress, the AAP, which is looking to make a splash in the western state, and even the ruling BJP are said to be wooing the 56-year-old ahead of the Assembly polls slated to be held in eight months.

Some leaders in the Gujarat Congress, which has been leaking leaders constantly, are so desperate about getting Naresh into the party that they apparently bypassed the senior state leadership and pleaded for his inclusion with the high command in Delhi.

Thus, the question: Who is Naresh Patel?

Hailing from Rajkot, Naresh is an industrialist and a much sought-after public figure in Gujarat. His claim to fame is his stewardship of the Shree Khodaldham Trust (SKT).

Established in 2010 and spearheaded by Naresh, the trust manages the Khodiyar Mata temple at Kagvad in Rajkot. Khodiyar Mata is the reigning deity of Leuva Patels, a sub-group of the influential Patidar community in the state, and to which Naresh belongs.

The community has been the driving force behind the BJP's ascendancy and its subsequent stranglehold over the state since 1995.

Numerically strong in the Saurashtra region, which elects 48 of the 182 Assembly seats of Gujarat, the Patidar community can make or break the political fortunes of any party.

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In 2017, in the wake of the sustained Patidar agitation, the Congress won 28 seats in Saurashtra, nearly twice the number of seats it won in the previous 2012 polls.

Well aware of this, the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to retain its hold over the community and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In September 2021, jittery about the possible shift in loyalties of the Patidar community, the top BJP leadership made chief minister Vijay Rupani quit and brought in Bhupendra Patel, a Leuva Patidar, as the chief minister.

The move to bring in Bhupendra Patel was triggered by increasing pressure from the Patidars, including Naresh Patel. But the new CM’s stint has so far been lacklustre. He hasn't looked strong and inspired confidence in the community.

On the other hand, Naresh Patel, with his cult following, stands taller than the chief minister in public perception.

Naresh also owns Patel Brass Works, which manufactures engineering components for domestic and overseas markets, including Canada, the US, Europe and the Middle East. However, it is his philanthropic work and chairmanship of the SKT that have endeared Naresh to the crowds.

SKT is now the most prominent umbrella organisation unifying Leuva Patels under its banner.

"Naresh Patel has single-handedly taken the Khodaldham to its current height. As he is one of the tallest Patidar leaders, it will certainly help any party he chooses," says Haribhai Desai, a senior journalist based in Ahmedabad.

The influence of the Khodaldham trust can be gauged by the fact that between January 17 and January 21, 2017, a record 75 lakh devotees from the community attended the temple's inauguration. The event created several records: over five lakh people from the Leuva Patel community sang the national anthem, securing it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The soft-spoken businessman is also a famed philanthropist, a legacy he is said to have inherited from his father, Ravjibhai Undhad, who set up hostels for the community's boys and girls in Rajkot. Naresh took forward the philanthropic work by establishing the trust, which runs several cultural and educational organisations.

Naresh’s popularity can be gauged from the fact that despite feverish speculation over his political ambitions, no leader from any party has uttered a word against him.

"The community needs his leadership,” says Manhar Patel, a Congress leader and a close associate of Naresh.

“For the past three-four years, he has worked for the upliftment of the people at the social level, but now there is a need for political intervention. The reason is that the current leadership hasn't been able to resolve issues plaguing Gujarat. Why are Patidars leaving for other countries? Simply because they have no opportunity back home."

With polls due in the state, it will be interesting to see the influential industrialist’s next move and his political impact.

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