Rajkot: Recently Rajkot Congress leader Dr. Hemang Vasavada told media persons that Khodaldham Trust chairman Naresh Patel is all set to rejoin Congress party. Vasavada used the word ‘rejoin’ as he knows that Patel had been a loyal Congress cadre before he came to limelight as Patidar community leader through construction of Khodal temmple at Kagvad. A photo in this connection has gone viral in which Naresh Patel can be seen seated in an open jeep during the road show of then Congress leader Kunvarji Bavaliya’s election campaign of year 2009. Patel can be seen with other Congress leaders wearing a tricolor scarf of Congress party. Former actress Zeenat Aman was roped in for this road show and she can be seen standing right behind Naresh Patel. Gujarat Congress’s general secretary Mahesh Rajput says, he was witnessed to this.

Businessman by profession, Naresh Patel built a temple later and focused on Leuva Patidar community. He organized various gatherings of Leuva Patidar community and gave platform to then Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) led by later Keshubhai Patel during year 2012 assembly elections. Patel’s activities had always political touch and he would emerge as an influencer in media ahead of every State assembly election. His son had campaigned for Congress candidate in Rajkot in year 2017 general elections of State assembly. However the results showed different picture. Though he employed all his strength for GPP in 2012, the party could get only two seats. A candidate for whom his son had campaigned also lost in 2017. Now another general election is going to take place in Gujarat in December this year and Patel is again out in media – this time not as an influencer but as an active player. Patel has announced his wish to join politics and said that he would make announcement by the end of the month of April. DeshGujarat