Right after the Election Commission announced the 2019 Lok Sabha Election dates, convict Hardik Patel has announced that he will be joining Indian National Congress to “serve 125 crore people of the country”.
To give shape to my intentions to serve society & country, I have decided to join Indian National Congress on 12th March in presence of Shri Rahul Gandhi & other senior leaders.
— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) March 10, 2019
Hardik Patel also said that IF there is no “legal hindrance” and party (Congress) decides to field him in electoral politics, he will abide by the party’s decision. On 9th March 2019, Hardik Patel has applied to stay his conviction in a rioting case where he has been convicted and sentenced to 2 years in prison, and that would stop him from fighting elections. In 2018 August, the court had suspended his sentence and given him bail. However, since he is still convicted and the conviction itself was not stayed by the court, he wouldn’t be able to fight elections.
I would also like to state that if there is no legal hindrance and party decides to field me in electoral politics, I would abide by the party’s decision. I am taking this step to serve 125 core citizens of India.
— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) March 10, 2019
Hardik Patel, who has now joined Congress had threatened to launch a stir against Rahul Gandhi if Congress didn’t make its stand clear on Patidar reservations. Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi is yet to make his stand clear, however, that hasn’t stopped Hardik Patel from pulling an Arvind Kejriwal and joining Congress nonetheless.
The Patidar Andolan in Gujrat had brought the state to a standstill in 2015 as widespread incidents of violence and clashes had caused intense law and order situations. A total of 9 people had died and the Army was deployed to maintain peace. A total of 5000 paramilitary personnel had to be posted in different cities to help control the situation. Then 22-year-old Hardik Patel had made several objectionable remarks in a rally that had turned violent.
Hardik Patel is now convicted for causing riots in Mehasana and has been found guilty of charges related to arson and creating a ruckus at the office of BJP MLA Rushikesh Patel. Charges of sedition have also been framed against him.
Earlier in February, his close aide Nikhil Savani had surrendered himself to police in case of causing riot and arson.
In July 2018, After the suspected hooch tragedy, the ‘Merchants of Menace’, Jignesh Mevani, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor and Hardik Patel, staying true to their ‘forever agitating’ image, decided to launch a stir against liquor and raid liquor dens all on their own. Two days after this raid, the police has booked the ‘Merchants of Menace’ on charges of house trespassing and providing false evidence about the seizure of liquor from the house they raided.
With his colourful history, while Hardik Patel is now hankering for a Lok Sabha ticket, his political career has been less than impressive, barring the violence he has unleashed on India. In 2018, Hardik Patel was welcomed with eggs and sandals in Madhya Pradesh and had addressed a rally full of empty chairs in Bhopal.
In September 2018, Hardik had sat on an unsuccessful “indefinite fast”, and when he realised that the fast is not earning him any political capital, he had ended his fast and gone for a month long session of ‘strategising’. It would surely appear that what we have witnessed today is the result of that month-long strategising session.
