Gujarat Congress working president Hardik Patel resigns from all party posts

NEW DELHI: Putting all speculations to rest, Gujarat Congress working president Hardik Patel on Wednesday resigned from all party posts. Patel took to Twitter to inform that he is resigning from all party posts in the Congress party. 

"Today I took the courage to resign from the post (Gujarat Congress Committee working president) and primary membership of the Congress Party. I am sure that my decision will be welcomed by all my colleagues and the people of Gujarat. I believe that after this step, I will be able to work truly for Gujarat in future," Patel tweeted.

आज मैं हिम्मत करके कांग्रेस पार्टी के पद और पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से इस्तीफा देता हूँ। मुझे विश्वास है कि मेरे इस निर्णय का स्वागत मेरा हर साथी और गुजरात की जनता करेगी। मैं मानता हूं कि मेरे इस कदम के बाद मैं भविष्य में गुजरात के लिए सच में सकारात्मक रूप से कार्य कर पाऊँगा। pic.twitter.com/MG32gjrMiY — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) May 18, 2022

Hardik Patel's resignation has surely come as a major blow to Congress just a few months before the state Assembly elections. There were reports about him being sidelined and ignored by the senior Gujarat party leaders.

Hardik Patel, the poster boy of the Patidar agitation movement in Gujarat, was reportedly upset with the treatment being given to him and was mulling quitting the party, sources close to him had indicated earlier.

Sources said that "the impasse between Hardik and Congress has shown no signs of thaw" in recent times. Hardik Patel also recently removed the name of the party from his Twitter bio, sparking speculation that he was on his way out soon.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also reportedly reached out to the disgruntled Gujarat Congress Committee working president to sort out differences in the party unit ahead of state assembly polls. Party sources claimed that Rahul Gandhi himself sent a message to Hardik Patel asking him to continue in the party

According to sources, Patel had also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in April during the latter`s visit to Ahmedabad, triggering speculations about his entry into the BJP. Sources, however, said that his entry into the state`s ruling party will not easy as one stalwart BJP leader is strongly opposed to him since the former's political career was jeopardised by the Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti agitation.

Patel shot to the limelight in 2015 at the helm of a quota agitation for his community - a movement that pitted him strongly against the BJP-led state government at the time. He joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but did not contest because of a conviction in a rioting and arson case.

In April this year, the Supreme Court had put a stay on the conviction and allowed him to contest elections going forward.