HARDIK FACTOR WON’T HELP CONGRESS: PARTY’S SECRET REPORT

Gandhi. This is the input that we have received. We now believe that the impact that he was expected to make on the Patidar electorate would be minimal,” said another source in the Gujarat unit of the Congress.

The sources spoken to claimed that a meeting between Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Hardik “did take place” and that the 24-yearold Patidar icon “assured Rahulji of his support”. But the sources did not confirm the venue or the date of the meeting. On Monday, Gujarat’s regional news channels had, on the basis of CCTV footages of a hotel, the Ummed in Ahmedabad, claimed that Hardik and Rahul Gandhi had met there. Hardik denied such claims and said he only met senior Congress leader and Congress’ Gujarat in-charge, Ashok Gehlot instead. The CCTV clips confirmed that Hardik stayed in the hotel from 11.30 pm of 22 October to at least 4 pm on Monday, 23 October. Rahul Gandhi was seen coming out of the same hotel at 2.23 pm on Monday.

This newspaper has learnt that following the Congress’ Gujarat unit’s internal assessment, the party is rethinking whether Rahul Gandhi should share dais with Hardik. “There has been no decision as of yet, but there is a marked apprehension about Rahulji sharing dais with Hardik or jointly campaigning with him. In any case, the strategy was to let Hardik mobilise the Patidars against the BJP. This needed to be done on a systematic manner. His obvious support has damaged our plans,” Congress sources told this newspaper.

Meanwhile, sources in the BJP said that the incumbent party was anticipating that several Patidar and OBC candidates may opt to stand in key constituencies where it was placed badly. “In constituencies where the Patidars or the OBCs are unhappy with us, the opposition vote may get divided by candidates unhappy with Congress seat selection. They would contest as independents,” a source in the BJP told this newspaper, adding that “the Congress has several factions, as does the movement led by Hardik.”

Gujarat elects 182 legislators in a two phased election on 9 and 14 December.