Gandhinagar, March 29: Gujarat High Court refused to stay Patidar leader Hardik Patel’s conviction for riots and arson on Friday, throwing a spanner in the works for the leader who hopes to make his electoral debut in next month’s general elections.
A Visanagar court sentenced Patel, leader of the Patidar movement for reservations, for two years in 2018 for riots at the height of the Patidar agitation in 2015. This was one of the several riots cases he faces.
Representation of People’s Act, 1951, bars anyone with a prison sentence of two or more years from contesting elections.
Reports say that Patel, who recently joined the Congress, hoped to make his debut at general elections by contesting from Jamnagar. General elections begin on April 11. Gujarat will vote on April 23 in the third phase of the seven-phase elections. Votes will be counted on May 23. Agencies
