One year after the state government stated that it had no objections if the restriction was removed, the Gujarat high court on Friday granted BJP leader and candidate from Viramgam constituency Hardik Patel permission to enter the Mehsana district for the purpose of campaigning in the upcoming state elections.
The court gave him relief for a year after noting that he works as a social worker, is a BJP member, and intends to run in the forthcoming Gujarat assembly elections.
“In view of such a position, the applicant needs to travel frequently in various parts of Gujarat including Mehsana district for campaigning and fulfilling the political obligation cast upon him,” the court said in its two-page order on Friday. HT has seen a copy of the order.
The court, presided over by Justice S. H. Vora, allowed the bail requirement to be relaxed for a year, or until November 7, 2023.
After the Gujarat High Court’s decision, Congress criticised the BJP, claiming that the BJP’s hypocrisy had been revealed.
Notably, though his sentence has been suspended by the Gujarat High Court, his conviction has not been overturned.
The court decision prohibiting him from visiting the Mehsana district and running in the 2019 general elections followed his conviction. The Supreme Court also overturned his conviction on April 12.
Patel has also filed a pending application with the high court requesting that this condition be permanently removed. In January 2023, the petition will be considered.
Patel, a Patidar leader from Gujarat who joined the Congress in 2019, left the organisation in June as its working president to join the BJP government.