Congress expecting to win around 13 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, says Hardik Patel

Congress leader Hardik Patel on Sunday said that the Congress party is expecting to win around 13 Lok Sabha seats out of 26, in the ongoing elections.

"According to our estimate, we are expecting to win around 13 seats," Patel told ANI when asked about Congress' expectations in Gujarat.

Speaking on the slapping incident, Patel said: "I am not so weak to get afraid of any slap or attack. I am a man who is afraid of a villain."

On Friday, a man slapped Patel while he was addressing a gathering at the Jan Akrosh Sabha in Surendranagar. He had also requested adequate police security ahead of his road show in Jamnagar on Sunday.

The Congress leader said that issues of farmers and youth unemployment are the main issues of the ongoing elections.

"Farmers and youths have decided to give a befitting reply to those who made false promises. Common people are frustrated and baffled. After the GST and demonetisation, traders have suffered a big loss. Farmers did not get water for irrigation. That's why farmers ask if Gujarat is the model for development, then why there is no water here for the farmers?" he said.

Patel, who joined Congress recently, had to step back from contesting elections after the Gujarat High Court rejected his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 2015 Mehsana riots case.

Gujarat, with 26 seats at stake, will go to polls in the third phase of elections on April 23. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.