Ahmedabad: With her surprise decision of appointing 26-year-old Hardik Patel as the working president of the party's Gujarat unit, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has heated up the political climate in the state.
What comes as a surprise to many is the fact that Patel secured the top position within just five years of entering politics. There was an absence of effective leadership in Gujarat Congress. It is but natural that Hardik Patel's appointment triggered off discontent within the party. Many consider that there were several senior leaders who could have led the party. However, Sonia Gandhi has opted for young blood.
Recently, elections to four Rajya Seats from Gujarat were held when eight Congress MLAs had resigned from the Congress party. With this, a total of 18 Congress MLAs have so far switched over to the BJP.
The possible reason for Congress MLAs quitting the party is because the state leadership is weak. There is no state level leader who commands the trust of all Congress leaders in Gujarat. In the absence of strong leadership, the Congress MLAs seem to get easily lured by the BJP. The BJP has been trying to achieve a 'Congress-free India'. However, in Gujarat, the BJP seems to have become a 'Congress-inclusive' party.
Congress was in need of a leader who could challenge the BJP government in Gujarat. The party high command must have seen such a quality in Hardik Patel. The Opposition party needs a leader who can oppose the wrong-doings of the BJP government and force it to withdraw its wrong policies. The BJP has steamrolled the Opposition because of its brute majority. The BJP government seems least bothered about the opposition and acts in an autocratic manner.
Read: Hardik Patel appointed working president of Gujarat Congress unit
There have been veteran Congress leaders in Gujarat much before Hardik Patel joined the party. Will such senior Congress leaders accept the leadership of Hardik Patel is a moot question.
Hardik's supporters in the party are happy with his appointment. Hardik has a large fan following. Members of the Patidar community who are displeased with the BJP are with the Congress. The leader of the opposition in Gujarat assembly Paresh Dhanani belongs to the Patidar community. Hardik's appointment is calculated move to consolidate the Patidar votes for the Congress.
The BJP too is happy by the appointment of Hardik Patel as the Congress could not find any other leader to head the party. There are in all 32 cases including that on sedition charges, against Hardik Patel filed during the Patidar reservation agitation. Hardik is out on bail at present. Hence, the question arises as to how much he can achieve in such a situation when there exists a pro-BJP wave in the state. Only time will tell how much influence Hardik has over the voters.
Political analyst Jayawantbhai Pandya told ETV Bharat that though Hardik Patel has been appointed as the working president of the Gujarat Congress, his effectiveness can be judged only after electoral success of the party. There are by-elections to eight assembly elections followed by elections to eight municipal corporations. All eyes are now on these elections and their result.
Read: My desire is to work at ground level in Gujarat: Hardik Patel
The performance of the Congress has not been good in elections in the last three years under the leadership of state Congress president Amit Chavda and leader of the opposition in state assembly Paresh Dhanani. Many Congress MLAs have quit the party and joined the BJP. Hardik Patel is young and has a big fan following which can directly benefit the Congress party.
The caste factor too plays a major role in politics. Hardik's appointment seems to have been made to attract Patidar votes. Hardik Patel had emerged as a popular leader during the Patidar reservation agitation. His joining the party was expected to provide a boost to the Congress party.
Till now there had been no coordination among senior Congress leaders. Perhaps now, the senior party leaders would bury their differences and be united. Hardik does not have any experience of contesting elections. This is why some of the senior Congress leaders are displeased.
Hardik Patel was born on July 20, 1993 in Viramgam of Ahmedabad district. While in college between 2010 and 2013, he had joined the Sardar Patel Group. He joined the Patidar reservation agitation from the rally in Visnagar in August 2015. His rally in the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad was attended by over 10 lakh people.
He had given an impressive speech at the rally and was hailed by the members of the Patidar community. Thereafter, he has had a roller coaster ride in public life culminating in his appointment as the working president of the Gujarat Congress.
