If I want 'chowkidar', I'll go to Nepal, says Hardik

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday said that he would go to Nepal if he wanted to find a 'chowkidar' (watchman). "I will go to Nepal if I want to find a watchman. I want a Prime Minister who can strengthen the economy, youth, education and our jawans. I don't want a chowkidar, I want a Prime Minister," Patel told reporters after casting his vote here.

Patel, who led the statewide agitation in 2015 demanding reservation benefits for the Patidar community, has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Modi, who he calls himself as a 'chowkidar'. Patel, who joined the Congress in March, was barred from contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls as the Gujarat High Court had rejected his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 2015 Mehsana riots case.

In Gujarat, 371 candidates are in the fray for 26 Lok Sabha seats, while 45 candidates are in the fray for by-poll in four Assembly seats. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.