Gujarat elections: Senior Patidar leader raises doubts over Hardik Patel’s support for Congress
He said the Congress had not clarified how it would grant reservation under the OBC quota.
A key aide of Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Friday claimed that the Patidar Amanat Andolan Samiti chief’s support to the Congress points to some “fixing” between them, PTI reported. Dinesh Bambhania, a senior leader of PAAS, said he could not understand why Patel was supporting the Congress despite the lack of clarity on reservation.
”In the poll manifesto, the Congress has not clarified how it would grant us reservation under the Other Backward Classes quota after coming to power in Gujarat,” Bambhania said. “Yet, Hardik Patel is doing rallies in favour of the Congress.”
Bambhania claimed that Patel was using the Patidar quota agitation for his own political purposes. “I urge all the Patidars to use their wisdom when they go for voting,” he said. “Our fight was not about bringing a party to power. At least I do not wish to be an agent of a party. Hardik should not politicise the agitation.”
The PAAS leader also raised doubts about Patel’s purported sex tapes. He said that only one CD could be morphed, not several, and that he was “deeply pained” by the entire episode.
Voting was held in 89 out of the 182 constituencies in Gujarat on Saturday. The second phase of the elections will be held on December 14, with results on December 18.