Praful Patel meets Hardik Patel, seeks support for NCP

Hardik Patel with Praful Patel. (Source: Twitter)

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel on Wednesday met Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, seeking his support for the party in the Gujarat Assembly elections. “We had a very good meeting and we broadly discussed about the demand for Patidar reservation for which Hardik Patel and his organisation has been agitating,” Parful Patel told The Indian Express.

He said, “We are supporting Hardik Patel on the issue. I told him that you (Hardik) are right on the issue, but there to has to be some clarity about constitutional reservation under OBC category because of legal and constitutional complexities… But, we have a broad understanding on this.’’ Asked if Hardik gave any assurance to support NCP in the elections, Praful said, “We are supporting each other.”

Hardik too tweeted a photograph of his meeting with the NCP leader and wrote: “NCP Leader @praful_patel met me today for wishing Diwali greetings. It was a nice meeting.” On the possibility on a pre-poll alliance with Congress, Parful said his party had a “bitter experience” with Congress in the 2012 Assembly elections. NCP was allotted 10 seats, but Congress later fielded its own candidates from five seats, thus leaving only five NCP to contest. “But, discussions are going on. We are open for alliance. NCP as a political party has its own independent existence,” Praful said.