From student leader to face of Patidar Andolan: All you need to know about Hardik Patel

Gujarat’s Hardik Patel, who started as a student leader and went on to become the face of the Patidar Andolan, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Read on to know more about him.

Ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections, Hardik Patel is all set to join the BJP today. The 28-year-old ex-Congress leader, who started as a student leader, is the face of the Patidar agitation in the state.

Hardik Patel hails from a small Patidar-dominated village, Chandan Nagri, in Gujarat’s Viramgam. Hardik is known for his powerful speeches. His close friends say that since the beginning of his political journey, Hardik used to deliver powerful speeches and engage audiences.

Also read: Pujas to procession, stage set for Hardik Patel’s grand entry into BJP tomorrow

In 2010, Hardik attended Sahajanand college in Ahmedabad where he completed his graduation. In college, he contested for the post of general secretary and he won.

At the age of 20, in 2012, Hardik Patel joined the Sardar Patel Group (SPG) headed by Lalji Patel. Lalji Patel is also known as Hardik’s mentor, who taught him everything about politics. Due to his powerful speeches, Hardik was made head of the Viramgam Taluka.

In January 2015, during a meeting of the Patel community leaders in Surat, including Nikhil Savani, the current Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener, Alpesh Kathiriya and Hardik Patel, it was decided that the Patidar quota stir will be taken to another level. The group used to go to collector's offices and submit letters demanding reservation for Patidars.

Later the group got a huge response from the public. Whenever the group went to collector's offices, a huge crowd used to gather.