Hardik Patel, the face of Patidar agitation and their demands for reservation, is set to contest the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. This comes a few months after he turned 25, the eligible age to contest elections in India. He made the announcement in Lucknow, creating ripples in his home state. One doesn't yet know if he will fight as an independent candidate or will join any political party. But he takes credit for enhancing Congress' presence in Gujarat.
"I still won seats for the Congress. Their vote share went from 33 to 43 percent... that is because of me," he had told NDTV shortly after the BJP won the Gujarat assembly elections. It is also said that Congress was much interested to form bonds with Hardik in order to win the vote bank that has stayed dedicated to BJP for all those years. But how does Hardik's political career look like and how did he rise to prominence?
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जब कोई समुदाय अपने अधिकार के लिए आरक्षण मांगता हैं तो भाजपा वाले और कुछ गोदी मीडिया इस आंदोलन को जातिवादी आंदोलन और कोंग्रेसी कह कर देशद्रोही भी बोल देते है लेकिन भाजपा ने आरक्षण का एलान किया तो गोदी मीडिया उसको मास्टरस्ट्रोक कहता हैं।वाह रे मोदी की गोदी मीडिया वाह..
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Hardik's father Bharat Patel is a former BJP member. He started helping out with his father's business after passing his 12th grade. His first stint with politics was when he joined Ahmedabad's Sahajanand College, and later the college's student union and became its general secretary. In 2012, he became a member of the Sardar Patil Group, an organisation of youngsters from the Patidar community. He took very little time to become an integral member. In due course, he realised how his community was facing bitter unemployment problem, farmers were losing out on land and traditional businesses were falling apart.
In 2015, he moved out of Sardar Patil Group after a fallout with a party leader. But it was in the same year when he was beginning to plan his own endeavours for his community's welfare. 2015 saw a massive agitation by the Patidar community demanding the status of OBC led by Hardik. Beginning in July 2015, this continues to date.
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In February 2017, ahead of the state polls in Gujarat, he was reportedly supposed to back Shiv Sena in Gujarat. But instead, he sidelined with the Congress.
In the meantime, Hardik's comrades in the mission have alleged that he secretly keeps in touch with Congress President Rahul Gandhi, which was denied by both parties. Last year, he was arrested on charges of rioting and damaging public properties among other allegations and imprisoned for two years. However, he was soon out on bail.
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I am involved in the work of public interest. I have to face allegations but I'm not afraid to accuse me. I will die but will not give up.
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On 27th January 2019, Hardik tied the knot with childhood friend Kinjal Parikh, who happens to be a lawyer.
Ranjini Maitra February 06 2019, 11.50 pm
