Hardik Patel had joined the Congress in 2019. (File)
Sulking Congress leader Hardik Patel was seen on stage with Rahul Gandhi at a rally today in Gujarat, where the opposition party is struggling with a widening rift ahead of elections later this year. Though Rahul Gandhi did not mention him in his speech, he met with Hardik Patel and promised that his issues would be addressed, sources say.
Hardik Patel, the party's working president in Gujarat, shocked his bosses recently when he dropped "Congress" and the party symbol from his Twitter bio, feeding 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 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 urging 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 contrasted sharply with his praise for the rival BJP. Dismissing speculation, he told reporters last week: "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."
Reports 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.
Hardik Patel, along with MLA Jignesh Mewani, are key to the Congress's poll plan in Gujarat. Both leaders, seen to be Rahul Gandhi's appointees, shared stage with him today. Recently, the Congress lost a prominent tribal leader and three-time MLA Ashwin Kotwal to the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi came out in support of Jignesh Mevani, who's still an independent MLA but says he will join the Congress before the Gujarat election. In recent days, Mr Mevani has been sentenced to jail by a court in Mehsana for organising protests and has also controversially been arrested by the Assam police for comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Jignesh is sitting here. This is for the first time I heard that you must take permission for an agitation. They have given him three months in jail. I know Jignesh. Give him ten years in jail, it won't matter to him," said the Congress MP.
Since the last Gujarat election in 2017, when Rahul Gandhi had led the Congress campaign, the party's MLA count has fallen from 78 to 64, with many switching to the BJP.