Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in Gujarat, is likely to meet disgruntled party leader Hardik Patel during his visit to the state to prep for elections later this year.
Hardik Patel, a leader of the powerful Patidar community and the working president of the Congress in Gujarat, has been sending his party leadership worrying signals. Recently, he dropped “Congress” and the party symbol from his Twitter bio amid speculation that he is in talks with the ruling BJP.
The 28-year-old, who joined the Congress in 2019, has been complaining of being “ignored” by the Congress and its top leaders in Gujarat. He even compared it to the feeling of a “groom forced into nasbandi (vasectomy)”.
After his outburst, Rahul Gandhi reached out to Hardik Patel and sent a message asking him to continue in the party, news agency ANI reported, quoting sources.
The Congress leader also asked the party in-charge in Gujarat and other leaders to reach out to Hardik Patel to sort out differences.
Hardik Patel’s disenchantment with the Gujarat Congress leadership contrasts sharply with his praise for the rival BJP. He has, so far, emphatically denied any move to switch sides.
“I am not upset with Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi. I am upset with the state leadership. Why am I upset? Elections are coming up and in such times work should be done together with honest and strong people. They should be given positions,” he told reporters.
Reports also suggest that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, which is trying to make inroads in Gujarat and establish itself as the opposition alternative to the Congress, has reached out to the Patidar activist.
Rahul Gandhi is in Dahod for a series of pre-election events, including an Adivasi Satyagraha rally during which he will address a tribal audience. Tribals are known to favour the Congress in Gujarat but earlier this month, AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also reached out to the tribal population.