Gujarat assembly polls will be one-sided, Congress is nowhere: Hardik Patel

Gujarat's influential Patel community leader stated that Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has a better electoral strategy than Congress.

Ahmedabad: Hardik Patel, who recently quit the Congress, has suggested that the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat will be a "one-sided" affair. The Patel quota leader said that the outcome of the elections will be in favour of the BJP. 

Hardik Patel added, "I don't see Congress anywhere." Replying to a question if BJP was an option for him, Patel said, "Why shouldn't it be?"  The influential Patel community leader further stated that Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has a better electoral strategy than Congress.

He also hit out at the Congress leadership for their alleged "hatred towards Hindus and Lord Ram". Patel`s remarks followed the statement of a former working president of the Congress, Bharatsinh Solanki.

Addressing an OBC meeting in Ahmedabad, Solanki said, "The BJP has always used Lord Ram`s name for political gains... It has played with the sentiments of lakhs of Hindus. With great respect, people had donated for the Ram Shila in the late eighties for the construction of Ram Temple, but they never bothered to take care of Ram Shila... It was found that dogs used to pee on the Ram Shila in Ayodhya."

In a series of tweets, Hardik Patel said, "I had said earlier also that the Congress party works to hurt the sentiments of the people, it is always trying to damage the faith of Hindu religion.

"I want to ask the Congress and its leaders as in what enmity do you have with Lord Shri Ram? Why hate Hindus so much? After centuries, a temple of Lord Shri Ram is being built in Ayodhya, yet the leaders of Congress keep making statements against Lord Shri Ram."

Alleging that the Congress has always hurt the Hindu faith, he questioned the party and its leaders as to why they are against Lord Ram. However, Congress hit back saying Hardik Patel's move to leave the party ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls due later this year is not likely to affect the party's prospects as he has lost credibility.

The Congress had benefited from Patel's agitation seeking reservation for Patidars in 2017 but his community's support to the party dwindled after he joined the Congress in 2019.

The Congress lost the 2017 Gujarat elections, falling just short of nine seats in the 182-member Assembly, and was then being seen as having the potential to dethrone the BJP, which has been in power in the state for over two decades.

Patel, who had joined the Congress in 2019, resigned from the party last week.