‘Some In Congress Want Me To Leave, Break My Morale’: Hardik Patel’s Salvo Against Party

Gujarat's Patidar leader and Congress party member Hardik Patel has fired a fresh salvo at the leadership of the Congress party, a week after complaining that he is not consulted or heard in major decisions. In an interview with the New Indian Express, he categorically said that it is  up to the party itself as to whether he leaves or stays.

I am in Congress currently. I hope the central leaders find a way so that I continue to remain in the Congress. There are others who want Hardik to leave the Congress. They want to break my morale. @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/zW1oHf5m52

— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) April 26, 2022

Patel’s rhetoric about the party has escalated in recent days, as he refuses to quell speculation about whether he will be joining other parties like the BJP and AAP. He said “I am in the Congress currently. I hope the central leaders find a way so I continue to remain in Congress”. He also opposed “Rahul Gandhi’s language” that anyone can leave the Congress if they want, calling out state unit chief Jagdish Thakor and party in-charge Dr. Raghu Sharma. He had ‘praised’ the BJP’s leadership style but dismissed rumours of it being a signal of an upcoming shift.

In the interview, Patel also spoke on the cases registered against him and the lack of assistance from the party in 32 cases made out against him.

 On April 12^th, the Supreme Court stayed his conviction by a lower court on charges of rioting and arson for a 2015 Patidar procession in Gujarat, for which he had been awarded two years’ imprisonment. He also said that after the ruling, he would “contest elections 100 per cent” but declined to say that it would be on a Congress ticket.