Patidar leader Naresh Patel to decide on joining politics soon

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor will ‘stand by me’, says prominent leader from politically important Saurashtra

Naresh Patel, a prominent Patidar community leader in Gujarat, on Wednesday said his decision on whether to join politics would be announced by the end of the month, and that poll strategist Prashant Kishor would “stand by him”, irrespective of Mr. Kishor’s decision to not join the Congress party. 

It was earlier being speculated that Mr. Patel, who wields considerable influence over the Leuva Patidar community in the politically important Saurashtra region, will join the Congress party along with Mr. Kishor.

Mr. Kishor should, Mr. Patel had reportedly insisted, handle the campaign for the next Assembly polls in the State. 

However, on Tuesday, the Congress party announced that Mr. Kishor had declined to join the party. He was invited by party chief Sonia Gandhi to do so. On his part, Mr. Kishor has also said that the party needed “deep structural reforms”. 

On Wednesday, Mr. Patel after a meeting of the trustees of the Shri Khodaldham Trust (SKT), a socio-cultural community group of Patidars, said that his decision on whether to join the active politics was independent of Mr. Kishor’s decision to not join the Congress party. 

“As I repeatedly said, Prashant Kishor is my old friend and we have been meeting frequently. The decision he made yesterday is his personal and professional decision on which I can’t comment. However, I am fully hopeful that he will stand by me, should I join active politics,” Mr. Patel told media persons in Rajkot. 

Mr. Patel added that his decision would be announced soon, and by mid-May, “everything will be clear”.