Hardik Patel joins Congress in Rahul, Sonia, Priyanka Gandhi's presence

Hardik Patel joins Congress: Patidar leader Hardik Patel joined the Congress party in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former UP general secretary Priyanka Gandhi.

Ahmedabad: Patidar Kota (Reservation) movement leader Hardik Patel today (12 March 2019) joined the Congress party in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi of Eastern UP. 

The meeting of the Congress Working Committee is going on in Ahmedabad. On Friday, the Patidar Anamat Agitation Committee (PAAS) gave the green signal to Patel to join the Congress.

It is reported that Hardik wants to contest Lok Sabha elections from Jamnagar seat. The Election Commission announced in the evening on Sunday that it will conduct Lok Sabha elections from April 11 to May 19 in 7 phases. Counting votes will take May 23 place on.

Significantly, Patel was convicted in a riots case related to the Patidar Kota movement of 2015 and sentenced to 2 years in jail. This (conviction and punishment of two years or more) restricts them from contesting elections. 

Patel had tweeted on Sunday, to fulfill his motive for serving the society and the country, I have decided to join the party (Congress) in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders on March 12.

He had said in another tweet, I also want to say that if there was no legal obstacle and the party decided to take me in the election, then I would follow the party's decision. I am taking this step to serve crore 125 citizens of India.

Significantly, in July last year, a sessions court in Mehsana district had sentenced Patel to two years in jail for riot and arson. This incident took place in Vishnagar town of the district in 2015. However, the court barred him for his imprisonment but his conviction was not suspended. Patel has filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court against the conviction by the lower court.