Amid Speculations, Congress Leader Hardik Patel Meets Senior BJP Leader In Delhi: Sources

The uncertainty over Hardik Patel's decision comes as the assembly election in Gujarat is due in December this year.

New Delhi: Gujarat Congress leader Hardik Patel on Monday met a senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi, sources said.

This comes as the working president of the Congress party's state unit continues to deny speculation of him joining the BJP.

According to sources, Hardik Patel's communication with the BJP continued as he met a senior BJP leader in the national capital. Now, the decision of joining the ruling party is up to him, they said.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media on Monday, the Gujarat Congress leader once again denied the speculation as he said: "People will talk. I praised Joe Biden when he won US polls and the VP has Indian origins. Does it mean I'm joining his party? If rival does something praiseworthy, need to see that too..."

"I'm not upset with Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi. I am upset with the state leadership. Elections are coming up and in such times work should be done together with honest and strong people. They should be given positions," Hardik Patel added, as quoted by news agency ANI.

He asserted his point on giving more opportunities to local leaders saying, "People who work on the rural level to strengthen the party should be given opportunities. It's poll time, go to villages, work hard in cities. As far as being upset is concerned, questions come up in a family, and talks are held. I clarified earlier too to not spread rumours."

Notably, he had earlier said that if at all he needs to take the decision to switch, he would take the matter before people "with an open heart", news agency PTI reported.

Hardik Patel Asks Congress To 'Acknowledge The Truth'

Apparently, the Congress leadership's plan to rope in Patidar leader Naresh Patel ahead of the state polls seems to have angered Hardik as it is believed that his clout as the community leader will end with Naresh joining the party.

"We will have to acknowledge that recent political decisions taken by the BJP show that it has a better political decision-making capacity. I believe that without praising it, we can at least acknowledge the truth. If Congress wants to become strong, it will have to improve its decision-making capacity," Patel said, as quoted by PTI.

"I am not angry with any individual, but at the state leadership. I do not see that it is fulfilling its responsibilities like the way it should for the benefit of the state...When someone speaks the truth, people (within the party) interpret it differently - as that person is planning to leave the party," he added.

Hardik Patel's move to join BJP could be significant for the ruling party as widespread disenchantment of the numerically significant Patidar community was also seen in the results of the 2017 Assembly election, wherein Congress won 77 seats as against 99 by the BJP in the 182-strong Assembly.

Hardik Patel claimed that he was sidelined in the Congress state unit and the leadership is not willing to utilise his skills. He had also alleged that the party's state leaders were harassing him and wanted him to leave the party.

He states that he took up the issue with former party president Rahul Gandhi many times, but no action was taken to address his grievances.

The uncertainty over Hardik Patel's decision comes as the assembly election in Gujarat is due in December this year.

(With Agency Inputs)