Patidar leader Hardik Patel has written to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying if the party has any suitable candidate to replace him for the Lok Sabha elections, it should do so. Hardik has said cases pending against him at the Gujarat High Court could mean he may not be exonerated in time to file his nominations. The last day to file nominations in Gujarat is April 4, and Hardik said that if the party had a suitable replacement, he would walk away from the poll fray.

"I have conveyed to Rahul that I may not contest the polls. The case is in the high court and can take more time. The party shouldn't wait for a final order. I told them that instead of waiting for me, they should make an announcement of candidates," Hardik told DNA.

"If they have a suitable candidate in mind, they should announce the name as soon as possible. It will be better if they don't wait until the last minute to name a candidate," he added.

A sessions court in Visnagar had in July last year sentenced Hardik to two years' imprisonment for rioting and arson in Visnagar town in 2015, at a time when the Patidar reservation stir was at its peak.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, while Hardik was speaking to local television media, he was heckled by local citizens in Ahmedabad. The interview was being conducted at a public park on Tuesday morning, when several people, out for their morning walk, rapped Hardik for joining the Congress. The video of the incident, recorded by passers-by on their mobile phones, went viral on social media.

"I am not disturbed by the incident. It's a strategy by BJP workers who planned this. The person recording the incident was a local leader of the BJP's youth wing. I didn't reply because I don't feel it's necessary to do so," he said.

"They tried to provoke me thinking I'd make some controversial statements which can be used to criticise me some more. But I can never be trapped by these conspiracies," he added.

Case Against Hardik