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Gandhinagar Civic Polls: Dhruv Patel Campaigns Via Social Media | Congress
Dhruv Gandhi, who acted in Hollywood, enters civic poll fray: Campaigns alone with loudspeaker; viral on social media for a month
Deepak Shrimali 5 days ago
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With the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election underway, BJP, Congress and AAP have announced their candidates.
Amid the political activity, 32-year-old Dhruv Patel has emerged as a talking point after campaigning on social media for the past month. He has filed his nomination from Congress in Ward 9. Congress has included Dhruv Patel in its candidate list for the ward.
Dhruv Patel’s entry adds a new face to Ward 9 contest
Dhruv Patel has worked in Gujarati as well as Hollywood films and is also a social media influencer. His entry into the civic election has added interest to the contest in Gandhinagar.
Divya Bhaskar speaks to candidates from Congress and AAP
Divya Bhaskar spoke to Congress candidates Dhruv Patel and Fenil Patel, who are contesting against the BJP, as well as AAP candidate Hardik Talati, about their campaigns and electoral plans.
Dhruv Patel lives with his parents and wife in Gandhinagar’s Kudasan area.
Dhruv Patel holds a master’s degree in performing arts and works as an actor
Congress candidate Dhruv Patel lives in Indradhanu Society in Kudasan. He comes from an educated family with a background in government service.
His father, Sitaram Patel, retired as an engineer from GEB, while his mother, Dakshaben, retired from government service at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital.
Dhruv’s wife, Pooja, has completed her B.Tech. Dhruv holds a master’s degree in performing arts and works as an actor, social activist and animal welfare activist.
Dhruv Patel has worked in Gujarati and Hollywood films
Dhruv has more than two lakh followers on social media and has also established himself in the acting field. He played Randeep Hooda’s bodyguard in the Hollywood film Extraction and has performed at Anupam Kher’s acting institute.
In 2007, he also appeared in a lead role in the Gujarati film Snehna Sagpan, alongside actor Hirenkumar.
‘BJP leaders and workers cannot openly express their views’: Dhruv Patel
Speaking about his entry into politics and his decision to choose Congress over BJP, Dhruv Patel said that at the age of 32, he has so far seen BJP governments in power.
Patel, who has voted three times, said he believes big claims are made during elections, but the reality is different. He said that even BJP leaders and workers, apart from the public, cannot openly express their views.
Patel also said that even if people’s voting rights are taken away in the name of SIR, no one is able to speak out because of helplessness.
‘Patidars should come out of mental slavery’
Patel said he believes Congress provides freedom of thought and the freedom to voice dissent. Referring to the situation during the Patidar agitation, he said that after 30 years of one-party rule, people, particularly members of the Patidar community, should now come out of what he described as “mental slavery”.
He said human development and improving the standard of education are more important than focusing only on infrastructure development.
Dhruv Patel has worked in Gujarati and Hollywood films, as well as theatre.
‘Patidars have leaned towards BJP, but change is now necessary’
Dhruv Patel further said that politics based on casteism and communalism should now come to an end. Addressing the youth of his generation, he said the Patidar community has traditionally leaned towards the BJP, but change is now necessary.
‘Dhruv earns through social media content instead of a job’: Pooja Patel
Dhruv Patel’s family has fully supported his decision to enter politics. His wife, Pooja Patel, said there is complete freedom to express views and make decisions in their family.
She said Dhruv earns through social media content instead of doing a regular job and has a special affection for stray dogs. Two stray dogs live at their home and are treated like family members. Dhruv has also served as a representative on the Animal Welfare Board of India.
‘BJP is a remote-controlled government’: Fenil Patel
Twenty-five-year-old MBA graduate Fenil Patel, who is contesting the Ward 7 election on a Congress ticket, spoke to Sureshbhai Patel about his political journey and family background.
Fenil said his father runs a jewellery business, his mother is a homemaker and his elder brother has a job. He said he is associated with the Congress, while his entire family supports the BJP. However, his family has given him complete freedom to make his own decisions.
He said his experience during the Patidar agitation was the reason he decided to join the Congress.
‘There is freedom and democracy in Congress’
Fenil said he had experienced freedom and democracy within the Congress. He alleged that the BJP was a “remote-controlled government” where people were not allowed to speak freely.
He said there was a need to defeat the BJP this time. Fenil added that he had been working with the party for the past seven years, starting with Youth Congress and NSUI, and currently serving as a city spokesperson in the main Congress organisation.
‘I joined Congress after seeing the repression during Patidar agitation’
Explaining his decision to join the Congress, Fenil said he was around 14–15 years old during the 2015 Patidar agitation. He said the alleged repression during the movement made him turn away from the BJP and join the Congress.
He said he subsequently continued working with the party after being influenced by its ideology, the freedom it provided and the way members were treated like family. He added that he had consistently raised public issues while working within the party.
‘We will serve people even after facing lathis, batons and bullets’
Fenil said he believed voters would support young candidates this time. He alleged that the BJP had created an atmosphere of corruption and fear in Gandhinagar.
He claimed that while corporators earlier travelled on Activas, they now travelled in Innovas with drivers. Fenil said that if elected, he would work towards a corruption-free ward without taking any commission and remain among residents around the clock.
He said that if voters elected him, he would use available grants for the development of Ward 7 and aim to make it the best ward in Gandhinagar. He also said he wanted to develop the ward to such a level that people from across the world would come to see it within the next five years.
‘I have entered the electoral battle over education, healthcare and civic issues’: Hardik Talati
Forty-year-old Dr Hardik Talati, who is contesting the Ward 10 election on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket, said he has entered the electoral battle focusing on issues such as education, clean drinking water, roads and traffic, healthcare facilities, taxes, civic amenities and VIP culture.
He said the younger generation, including Gen-Y and Gen-Z, needs to become more actively involved in addressing local issues in the city.
‘Claims of development have proved hollow’
Hardik said residents of Gandhinagar have been facing several basic problems for years. His area covers Sectors 6, 7, 8 and 1, along with Raysan, Randesan and Koba.
He alleged that claims of development in these areas have proved hollow. He also said serious accidents frequently occur in the city because of potholes and damaged roads.
‘VIP culture causes problems for common people’
Hardik said Gandhinagar also faces several issues related to security, while the VIP culture causes significant inconvenience to ordinary residents.
He said the problems have prompted Gen-Y and Gen-Z to become more active in Gandhinagar and come forward to seek change in the administrative system. He appealed to residents to support the young candidates who have entered the electoral fray.
Hardik urged voters to support AAP candidates across Ward 10 and other wards so that the younger generation can raise citizens’ concerns and work towards making Gandhinagar a city focused on happiness, prosperity and better health.