Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Wednesday criticised Hardik Patel for the reservation deal between his Patidar outfit and the Congress ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections, Ahmedabad Mirror reported. The Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases – on December 9 and December 14. The results will be declared on December 18.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hardik Patel had said that the Congress has promised to bring in a bill on reservation for Patidars when they come to power in Gujarat. He had also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of horse-trading and offering Rs 50 lakh to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convenors in North Gujarat.

Calling the Congress and Patidar leaders fools, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nitin Patel said, “Though it is clear that reservation cannot go beyond 50% in any situation, Hardik is trying to misguide the Patidar community with the formula offered by the Congress.” He added that he thought “this formula of reservation is a big joke.”

“Congress leaders like Kapil Sibal have made a fool of Hardik by offering such a formula. It is evident that fools have made a proposal and fools have accepted it,” he said. The people of Gujarat and the Patidar community, who are watching this, will never fall prey to such tactics, he said, adding that Hardik Patel is “immature”.

Hardik Patel reacted to the charge by saying that the deputy chief minister has called the entire Patidar community fools. “We will take revenge by establishing a people’s raj in Gujarat,” he said in a tweet.