Hardik Patel, the Gujarat leader who spearheaded the agitation for reservations for the Patel community in government jobs, said that he could contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi.
Hardik Patel heads the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).
“I don’t rule out the possibility of contesting (L0k Sabha) election from Varanasi. If a grand alliance is formed against the Bharatiya Janata Party and I am invited by the alliance then I will consider contesting the election from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader said.
Moreover, Hardik said, Mother Ganga had crores of sons and the mother could invite others also and those persons could also be from Gujarat.
Hardik Patel is presently on a tour of Uttar Pradesh. He is addressing public meetings in the state under the banner of Kisan Kranti Sena. He is scheduled to address meetings in Barabanki, Faizabad, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Sitapur and Kushinagar.
The Gujarat youth leader said he would address a ‘Samvidhan Bachao Rally’ (save Constitution rally) in Lucknow in February next year. He said Jignesh Mevani, MLA and Dalit leader from Gujarat, and Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ leader Kanhaiya Kumar would also attend the rallies. He said a similar rally would also be held in Patna.
Hardik Patel alleged that the BJP had ditched the people of the country in the name of Ram temple and had failed to fulfil the promises made to the people during election.
“The BJP is targeting the judiciary over the Ram temple issue. The country is passing through a critical state where millions of youths are desperate for jobs and people, including farmers, are facing crisis. The Ram temple issue will not give any relief to the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls,” Patel said.
Commenting on the Ram temple, he said every community, whether Hindu or Muslim, should get equal rights.
Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Patel, a staunch critic of the BJP, said to solve the farmers’ problems, the government should implement the Swaminathan Commission report.
He also attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.
“The crime rate has increased in the state but the government has failed to control it,” he alleged.
Patel said that the people of UP were thinking of Ram raj in the Yogi rule but the situation had turned from bad to worse.