Hardik Patel quits Congress: Is grand old party battle-ready in poll-bound Gujarat?

NEW DELHI: When Hardik Patel on Wednesday announced his decision to quit the grand old party, it did not surprise many, given the acrimonious exchanges the Patidar leader had with the state Congress in the recent past.
It was a separation that was waiting to happen.
In a tweet, Patel said, "Today, after mustering courage, I am resigning from my party post and primary membership of the Congress. I hope my followers and people of Gujarat will welcome my step. I believe that I will be able to serve the state better after this step."

That Hardik Patel was no more in the Congress scheme of things was apparent when Rahul Gandhi decided not to meet the state working president during his day-long visit to Gujarat recently.
Not surprisingly, Hardik's resignation letter to Sonia took digs at the party’s central leadership over visits abroad in the midst of burning issues and also over its 'love for chicken sandwiches,' which Gujarat leaders were 'more than eager to serve.'

According to reports, the grand old party is set to replace Hardik with another Patidar leader - Naresh Patel, to whom an invitation has already been sent out.
However, dumping a leader who helped the party achieve its best-ever performance in the state in recent times is intriguing and possibly hints at huge infighting.
Hardik Patel had gained prominence in 2015 after he led the agitation seeking reservation for the Patidar community in the state.
In the 2017 assembly elections, the Congress came closest to challenging the nearly three-decades dominance of the BJP by winning 77 seats and restricting the BJP to double digits at 99.

Hardik Patel, along with Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani, played a key role in helping the Congress bridge the huge gap with the BJP in assembly elections over the years.
Hardik did help the grand old party put up a strong show in the Patidar dominated seats of the state.
But five years down the line, the Congress in Gujarat is in a huge disarray.
Alpesh Thakor is now with the BJP. Hardik is also out of the party and may soon be following in Thakor's footsteps. He had till now denied the prospect of joining the BJP, but that may change after today. He has dropped enough hints to that effect.
Congress leader and party spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil launched a scathing attack on Patel, calling him "dishonest" and an "opportunist", and claimed that youth leaders who have switched to the BJP have been reduced to "zero".
The grand old party has seen several many exits in the state with many MLAs quitting the party.
Congress's Gujarat Plan
The Congress claims to have drawn a comprehensive campaign plan for the Gujarat assembly elections at the just concluded three-day Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.
The party plans to implement decisions like 'one family one ticket' and '50 per cent tickets to those under 50' in the Gujarat elections.
It has also decided to launch a major public outreach in the state under the 'Bharat Jodo (Unite India)' programme.
The Congress leadership has decided to appoint top leaders from outside the state as in-charge of one parliament seat each. They will look after the five to six assembly seats coming under that Lok Sabha seat.
The grand old party will also organize zone wise meetings of its workers in which specific responsibilities will be delegated to leaders of that zone.
The state unit of the party claims that the Congress leadership is serious about the elections.
It says the frequency of visits by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka to the poll-bound state will increase.
Now, compare this with the BJP's push in Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made multiple visits to the state. Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda have also been there to give the party a head start.
The Congress, on the other hand, is struggling to give momentum to its campaign. Rahul was in Gujarat recently for a day-long visit to woo the tribals. However, given the huge disadvantage and the leadership crisis that the grand old party faces in the state, it will need a miracle to counter the BJP challenge.
More so as this time the Congress also faces stiff challenge from a third contender in the form of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, that has made inroads in several cities and is going all out to make its presence felt.