Congress to send Hardik Patel to counter BJP in MP

Bhopal: The Congress is set to unleash three caste leaders of Gujarat — Alpesh Thakor, Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani — in the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, due in November-December this year, to boost its bid to wrest power from the BJP in the state.

The Alpesh-Jignesh-Hardika troika is set to campaign across MP in the coming days to reach out to backward classes such as OBC, SC and ST to stir anti-establishment sentiments among them ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

“I along with Hardik and Jignesh will move across MP in next three months to create awareness among the OBC, SC and ST people of the injustice meted out to them by the Shivraj government.

“The campaign will follow a state-level convention of the OBC, SC and ST communities here which will be addressed by me, Hardik and Jignesh,” Gujarat Congress MLA Thakor said on Monday.

He was currently on a two-day “familiarisation” tour of MP during which he was scheduled to meet leaders of various sections of the society in the state.

“We will fight for the causes of people, particularly the youth of these communities. I will talk to the Congress leadership in MP to give focus to interest of OBC people in the party’s poll manifesto,” he added.

“The trio is going to a play key role in the party’s campaign in the forthcoming assembly elections in MP to build a favourable environment for the party”, a senior Congress leader told this newspaper on Monday unwilling to be quoted.

“We have already received indications from the party headquarters on the plan to unleash the three Gujarat caste leaders in MP to boost party’s prospects in the forthcoming assembly elections”, he hinted.

State BJP president Nand Kumar Chouhan however ruled out the possibility of the trio making any impact in MP.

“We have a chief minister who is popular OBC leader. Hence, these leaders will not be able to influence any section of people in MP”, he added.