In what could be an indication of yet another Congress face jumping ship, Patidar leader Hardik Patel has removed the party’s name from his Twitter bio. The development comes amid talks of friction in the ranks and the Gujarat leader squarely placing the onus of ensuring he stays with the party on the high command in Delhi.
The development comes amid Patel’s continuous barbs at the Congress. Earlier, the Gujarat Congress working president said he felt like “a groom forced into nasbandi (vasectomy)”. Soon after, he relayed another worrying message for the Grand Old Party — barely months before the Gujarat assembly elections — as he praised the BJP and said there are “some things good about the BJP and we must acknowledge that”.
He delivered yet another googly when he removed mentions of Congress from his WhatsApp and Telegram bio. In a move seen as cosying up to the BJP, Patel described himself, and the Congress, as believers of Lord Ram, promised to distribute copies of the Bhagavad Gita, and also stated that he was “proud to be a Hindu”.
Patel, who spearheaded the Patidar quota stir, joined Congress in March 2019. But differences soon cropped up between the leader and the Gujarat Congress. Though he is a working president of the state unit, Patel claimed that he was sidelined and the leadership is not willing to utilise his skills. He also accused local leaders of harassing him, saying they wanted him to quit the outfit.
“My resentment is against the state leadership, not against the central leadership… If I am the working president of Congress, then the state leadership must give me some responsibility,” an interview quoted him as saying.
“I am in Congress currently. I hope the central leaders find a way so that I continue to remain in the Congress… The party hasn’t even helped me with a lawyer to fight the cases,” Patel added, pointing to the 32 cases registered against him.
Taking exception to Rahul Gandhi’s purported statement that those who wish to leave the Congress may do so, Patel said: “Rahul Gandhi says those who want to leave the Congress may leave. But the state leadership cannot talk like that. You have heard Jagdish Thakor and Dr Raghu Sharma talking in Rahul’s language. What happens if everyone leaves the party?” he asked.
However, the Patidar leader maintains that he is still with Congress and has rubbished speculation of joining the BJP.
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