With Hardik effect, politics in Gujarat has just taken an interesting turn

At 26, Hardik is possibly the youngest ever president of any state unit of the Congress

Why should we take Hardik Patel seriously?

The young Patidar leader who has just been appointed working president of the Gujarat unit of the Congress is, after all, up against heavy odds. Although he campaigned for the Congress in the 2017 Assembly polls, Patel formally had joined the party only 15 months ago, ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections. Such a rapid elevation in a party like the Congress is nothing short of meteoric. Immediately on being appointed, Patel told local newspapers: “I am taking off in a car to cover 6,000 villages, to make a note of and discuss