Patidar reservation: Hardik Patel extends deadline for Congress to November 7

Pic courtesy: @HardikPatel_

Ahmedabad: Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel on Monday extended the deadline for the Congress party till November 7 to clear its stand on the Patidar community's demand for quota.

In a meeting with the Congress today, the Patidar leaders listed their demands and the party agreed to four of them, but the demand for Patidar reservation did not reach a final conclusion.

Nevertheless, Patel has remarked that the meeting turned out to be fruitful and PAAS may meet Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi if the core committee advises so.

Patel also said that they did not demand reservation for Patidars only.

"Not with or against anyone, need clarity by 7 November on issue of reservation to our community." Hardik said, ANI reported. 

Meanwhile, the Congress has said that it will make a decision after consulting the matter with legal experts.

"PAAS has put forward their point, and we will go to legal expert and then take things forward," Gujarat state President Bharatsinh Solanki said in a press conference today.

Last week, Hardik had issued an ultimatum to the Congress to clarify its position on quotas for Patels by November 3.

"Congress must clarify how it proposes to give reservations constitutionally by November 3, 2017. If it does not make its stand clear, an episode similar to Amit Shah could repeat in Surat," he had tweeted. 

3/11/2017तक कोंग्रेस पाटीदार को संवैधानिक आरक्षण कैसे देंगी,उस मुद्दे पर अपना स्टेण्ड क्लीयर कर दे नहीं तो अमित शाह जैसा मामला सूरत में होगा — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) October 28, 2017

Several Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) members had on September 8 last year created ruckus at Shah`s rally, forcing him to cut short his speech.

Also, earlier this month on October 1, when Shah was kicking off the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra from Karamsad, several Patel youth had tried to disrupt the event by raising slogans of `Jai Sardar, Jai Patidaar`, IANS reported.

Hardik has maintained that if the Congress clarifies its stand on quotas for the Patels, he will not have issues in supporting the party in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

Gujarat Assembly elections:

Assembly elections in Gujarat will held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The first phase will be held in 89 of the 182 seats and will cover 19 of 33 districts. The notification for the second phase will be issued on November 20 for the remaining 93 Assembly seats in 14 districts.

The votes will be counted on December 18, the same day as Himachal Pradesh, where elections will be held on November 9.

The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998 and the Congress is seeking to make a comeback. 

(With Agency inputs)