HashtagPolitics | After Congress, Hardik’s tweets find a new target — AAP

The tweets caused political observers in Gujarat to sit up and take notice as the AAP, apart from the BJP, was believed to be a possible destination for the Patidar leader. Many, including AAP leaders, believe that, with the tweets, Patel closed the door on joining the Kejriwal-led party.

“The chances of Hardik joining AAP were very less and these tweets have almost made it clear that he will not be welcomed in the AAP,” said a senior party leader who did not wish to be named. “If you look at the language of the tweet, it looks in sync with the BJP. So, I think the only option left for him is to join the BJP. He has anyways been praising the BJP and its leadership for some time now.”

In an interview with The Indian Express last week, Patel sounded evasive when asked if he would consider joining the AAP. “Maybe… there is no plan,” he said. “There is no clarity where I will go. I will sit with friends and well-wishers and think about what I should do so that people will benefit. Our objective is to stay amidst people and thus pick the best option.”

Asked if the BJP was an option, he replied, “Why shouldn’t it be?” He also said, “The people of Gujarat have understood that there is peace and security in the BJP regime because before that they saw riots. They have seen that in the last 20-22 years, nothing has happened … There is no corruption in this government.”

A glance at Patel’s Twitter feed shows that since he quit the Congress he has posted about mediaeval king Prithviraj Chauhan and a Hindu religious programme he attended in Surendranagar district, paid tribute to 73 Gurjars who died during Gurjar reservation agitation in Rajasthan in 2008, paid homage to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue V D Savarkar, and congratulated Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on his birthday. He has also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary on May 27. In a couple of tweets, Hardik also came down heavily on Congress. He criticised the party’s senior party leader Bharatsinh Solanki’s comments on the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

“There is a lot of discontent and discussion within Gujarat BJP on whether to take him (Hardik) in the party or not,” said a BJP functionary. “And looking at his tweets, it seems he is likely to join the BJP now. If you look at his tweets, it becomes evident. And our state party leadership seems to have left the entire decision (about Hardik) to the central leadership.”