Hardik Patel Says Too Busy To Meet Rahul Gandhi today, Maybe Later

Ahmedabad:  Hardik Patel, 24, has RSVPed to say he can't meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today as he is busy, but has kept options open, saying they could meet another day. Mr Patel, the face of the Patidar or Patel agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges, has an open invitation to join the Congress from the party's state chief and had been invited today to meet Mr Gandhi who will hold a rally in capital Gandhinagar.

Ahead of assembly elections to be held by December, Rahul Gandhi is going all out to get the support of Patel, Dalit and Other Backward Classes or OBC, groups seen to be upset with the state's ruling BJP. He had invited Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani separately to meet him today. The focus today is on OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who will join the Congress at Mr Gandhi's rally.

Hardik Patel, whose phone was switched off for a better part of Monday morning, messaged reporters a short while ago to say that he would not be meeting Mr Gandhi. "I will not meet Rahul Gandhi today as I am busy with other engagements. Perhaps we could meet another day," Mr Patel said.

Late last night, his close aide Narendra Patel held a dramatic press conference to allege that the BJP offered him one crore to leave Hardik Patel's PAAS or Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti and join the ruling party. He spread out wads of cash and alleged that he had been given 10 lakh as an advance with 90 lakh to be paid later.
 While the BJP dismissed Narendra Patel's allegation as a conspiracy constructed by a "desperate Congress," another Patel leader Nikhil Sawani, who had joined the BJP only 15 days ago, said he was quitting the party, citing Narendra Patel's allegations as a reason.

Hardik Patel shot into the spotlight two years ago as the young, aggressive leader of a massive agitation by the influential Patel community for quota. He challenged the BJP government, warning that the Patels would revoke their support of years to the party if their demand was not met. After protests turned violent Hardik Patel was imprisoned on sedition charges and was then banished on court orders from the state for six months. He had then vowed revenge on the BJP in this year's assembly elections.

Back in Gujarat early this year, Hardik Patel had last month tweeted a welcome to Rahul Gandhi when the latter was visiting the state. Mr Gandhi has on his frequent tours since September has assiduously wooed Patels, accusing the BJP of shortchanging the community and promising to fulfil their demands if his party returns to power in Gujarat, ruled by the BJP for the last two decades.
 Hardik Patel and Rahul Gandhi have held no meeting yet. Mr Patel, however, did attend a meeting last month called by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, appointed last year by the BJP with the specific task of winning back the Patidars. In what was seen as an admission that the state government had mishandled the Patel agitation, including the imprisonment on stringent charges of Hardik Patel and other Patel leaders and excessive police action on protesters, then Chief Minister Anandiben Patel was replaced with Vijay Rupani.

The BJP government has since been attempting damage control, promising a series of measures to placate the Patidars, though Hardik Patel has said that the main demand of reservation is still outstanding and non-negotiable.