Ahmedabad: Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel will return to Gujarat tomorrow after spending six months outside his home state as per his bail conditions.

Hardik was living in Udaipur in Rajasthan since July last year after getting bail in two sedition cases from Gujarat high court which had accepted his submission to send him out-side the state. He had come out of Lajpore central jail of Surat after spending nine months on getting bail.

Despite his entry in Gujarat from tomorrow Hardik, who had hogged the limelight owing to the quota stir of PAAS which had turned violent in August 2015 post a massive rally here and claimed at least 11 lives including that of a policeman, will not be able to visit Mahesana. The high court’s ban on his entry in Mahesana will continue till the disposal of another case against him in a court there.

Meanwhile, Hardik has claimed that he would continue his fight for reservation and other demands. He also alleged that the state government was misguiding his community.

The ruling BJP on the other hand has said that Hardik has lost influence in Gujarat now. Party president Jeetu Vaghani, also from Patidar community, has said that Hardik’s agitation was influenced by Congress which was trying hard to somehow gain its long lost ground in the state.

Meanwhile many changes have taken place in Gujarat during Hardik’s exile. He has been alleged by his own close aides of misusing the fund collected for the quota stir to lead a luxurious life. Many of his close aides and prominent figures of the quota stir including Chirag Patel and Ketan Patel have parted ways. BJP has fared very well in the recently held gram panchyat elections with around 80 % of its supported candidates winning the polls held on non-party basis.

BJP has also made a youth of Patel community from Hardik’s home-town Viramgam, Rutwij Patel the state head of its youth wing BJYM. He will also formally assume office at party headquarters Srikamalam tomorrow.

Meanwhile the Khodaldham trust, the main religious body of Leuwa Patels is also taking out a large religious procession from Rajkot to Kagwad in neighbouring Junagadh from tomorrow till January 21. Lakhs of Leuwa patidars and also Kadva Patidars (the community to which Hardik belongs to) are expected to participate in it.

Hardik with his car-cade will move from Udaipur and reach Ratanpur on Gujarat border where his supporters will welcome him. PAAS has claimed that a grand road show will be organized in Gujarat and Hardik will be accorded grand welcome on homecoming.

On the other hand Sardar Patel Group leader Lalji Patel has termed Hardik’s welcome rallies as a waste of money and said that he would be joining the Khodaldham function.

DeshGujarat