Hardik Patel joins Shiv Sena, to be face of Gujarat polls

Mumbai: In a another jolt to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, the firebrand Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday joined hands with Shiv Sena and said that he will be the face of the Uddhav Thackeray led-party in Gujarat.

Addressing a joint-press conference with Thackeray, Patel said that he is a fan of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and will be Shiv Sena's campaign face in Gujarat.

Hardik, who arrived in Mumbai on Monday night, met Uddhav on Tuesday at his Bandra residence. Uddhav’s son Aditya Thackeray later tweeted, saying Hardik paid a visit to Matoshri to pay his tribute to late Bal Thackeray.

“Hardikbhai and Uddhav ji discussed their respective views on fight against social injustice and the way forward,” he said in another tweet.

Hardik also shared pictures of his meeting with Uddhav and Aditya.

Hardik, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), rose to fame in 2015 when he started an agitation in Gujarat, demanding inclusion of the Patidar community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Gujarat's 182 constituencies will go to polls later this year, with the BJP fighting anti-incumbency.

Sena, however, continues to remain an alliance partner in the state and at Centre. But had recently announced to contest forthcoming elections solo.