Hardik Patel has now accused his party leadership in the Congress of sidelining him
Congress leader Hardik Patel, who has been complaining about being ignored by his party of three years, is transmitting worrying signals to his bosses by praising the BJP just months before the Gujarat election.
The prominent Patidar leader has once again hit out at his party and the state Congress leadership. But while he has denied reports that he is talks with the BJP, he does concede that "some things that are good about the BJP and we must acknowledge that."
The comments betray the fiery leader's ambivalence towards the BJP, which the Congress may find ominous in an election year.
"The recent decisions that BJP has taken politically, we have to accept that they have the strength to take such steps. I believe that without even taking their side or praising them, we can at least acknowledge the truth. If the Congress wants to become strong in Gujarat, then we have to improve our decision-making skills and decision-making power," Hardik Patel told NDTV.
But he insisted he was not on the verge of quitting the Congress after a bitter outburst in which he said he felt like a "groom forced into nasbandi (vasectomy)".
Hardik Patel, who led an agitation of the powerful "Patidar" community for quota in Gujarat in 2015, joined the Congress just before the 2019 national election. His popularity was seen to have waned since his political debut. Although the party made gains in the 2017 Gujarat election, the Patidar community did not support the party in the 2019 election or local body polls.
Hardik Patel has now accused his party leadership of sidelining him, even trying to drive him out. Reports say he is upset about the Congress's plan to rope in prominent Patidar leader Naresh Patel.
"Why should I sever ties? There is no such discussion. We speak the truth. In our families also when we speak to our parents, we tell the truth. I am only speaking the truth so that the people accept the party," he said, when asked whether he wanted to quit the Congress.
"I am not tilting to any side. When there is a lack of will power then there are many options before you. I don't have shortage of will power and I will work for the benefit of the state. And if I have to take any decision in this regard, I will take it."
But he insisted he was not in talks with the BJP. "No, there are no talks. I am not thinking of the BJP and I am not talking to the BJP. The discussion is about the people of Gujarat and in the interest of the people and I have to do something good for them," he emphasised.
Dismissing talk of his joining the rival party as "rumours", he said: "These kinds of rumours are always attributed to sources. If there is a political situation that leads to this, then I will inform you guys first."
Hardik Patel said he had conveyed his concerns to the "high command" and he had been told that decisions would be taken soon.
"I have no personal anger against anyone but I am angry with the state leadership. The state leadership has a responsibility in the interest of the state and in that I see conflict and a storm. Some things can be resolved quickly but it is not done. When someone speaks the truth in the party he is viewed differently as if he is about to go," Mr Patel said.
Some of the Congress leaders in Gujarat have complained about Mr Patel's open party-bashing.
"The state leadership is not letting me work. They are stopping me from working. It is normal that I will talk about it," he said.
Asked whether he still considered himself a "Hinduwadi" leader as he had once said, Mr Patel replied: "I come from the clan of Raghuvanshi. We revere Lav-Kush. We are devotees of Lord Ram. We are devotees of Lord Shiva. We revere our ancestral gods. We are Hindus. According to Hindu traditions, to protect Hinduism, we are putting in efforts. On the death anniversary of my father, I will distribute 4,000 copies of the Bhagavat Gita. Our connection to Hinduism is not new, this is what we are doing for years, and I am proud of it."