Contesting his first election, having recently joined the ruling BJP after quitting as Gujarat Congress Working President, Hardik Patel told NDTV that the Congress "never stops anyone from leaving", and jibed that the party "does not need Gujaratis". He denied allegations that the fear of being jailed over pending cases, including some from the time of the Patidar quota agitation, made him switch sides. "I still have 32 cases on me. If you think joining a party will relieve me from that, then that's not it. Law and courts are independent," said the 29-year-old. "I had to take a decision as the Congress was consistently speaking against Gujaratis. I told them not to speak against businesspeople," he said, and reiterated his assertion that the state unit of the party "hesitated" in donating towards Ram Temple construction in UP's Ayodhya.
