Hardik won't be able to contest Lok Sabha polls as HC rejects plea seeking suspension of his conviction

Congress leader Hardik Patel will not be able to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections after Gujarat High court on Friday rejected his plea seeking suspension of his conviction in a rioting case of 2015 in Mehsana.

"The court has rejected the application of the Hardik Patel. The court found that the applicant who has more than 17 FIR/complaints registered against him and seeing his conduct, his case cannot be considered as a rare or exceptional case for the court to stay his conviction," said Dharmesh Devnani, the public prosecutor.

"While his counsel argued in the High Court that conviction recorded by the lower court doesn't have the evidence to support conviction grounds and hence, he should get relief. However, the High Court turned down his application saying that the record, material or evidence in the lower court cannot be considered or tested at this stage," he said

"The stand of the state government was that a lawbreaker cannot be a lawmaker," said the public prosecutor. While Hardik's lawyer Saleem M Syed said that he will approach the Supreme Court against the High Court judgement.

Hardik, the Patidar agitation leader, officially joined Congress on March 12 at a party rally in Ahmedabad. The rally was organised after a Congress Working Committee meeting.

Patel was inducted into the party in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders.

Patel emerged as the leader of the agitation demanding reservation for the Patidar community in Gujarat in 2015. The people from this community were considered to be bedrock supporters of the BJP.