Guwahati: The Supreme Court today declined the urgent hearing to Hardik Patel's plea against his conviction so that he can contest in the Lok Sabha polls.
Patel who had recently joined the Congress has filed a plea in the apex court challenging the Gujarat High Court order rejecting the stay on his conviction in the 2015 rioting case. The matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and the plea was mentioned for urgent listing but the top court had rejected the plea.
The bench which also comprises of Justices M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha said the counsel appearing for Patel that there was no urgency in hearing the matter as the high court order was passed in August last year.
In a major blow to the Congress, the Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected a plea by Patidar leader Hardik Patel seeking a stay on his conviction by a district court to enable him to contest the general elections. The decision is a jolt to the Gujarat Congress as Patel was projected to be a candidate for the Jamnagar seat in the 2019 general elections. Justice Abdullahmiya Uraizee rejected the petition filed by Patel seeking a stay on the Mehsana court conviction in a rioting and arson case in Visnagar during the Patel agitation in 2015. The Mehsana court had ordered a two-year imprisonment in July last year. Patel had prayed for a stay on the order so that he could contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Patel, who is keen to contest in the Lok Sabha polls from Gujarat's Jamnagar is running against time as April 4 is the last date for filing of nominations for the polls in Gujarat.
Patel also twitted after the High Court verdict saying that his only crime is that he raised voice against the BJP. He also wrote in Twitter, "I will campaign for the Congress and we will form the government."
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