Naresh Patel: The man who can imperil Narendra Modi’s popularity

Industrialist Naresh Patel has emerged as the tallest non-political leader of the Leuva Patels in the past seven years

Naresh Patel says the law and order machinery in Rajkot needs an overhaul. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint

Rajkot/Ahmedabad: Chief minister Narendra Modi isn’t the only man who can pull in a crowd in Gujarat. In fact, his popularity may be imperilled by a man with a hold over a key vote bank: the populous and influential Leuva Patel community, traditionally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voters.

The man in question isn’t Keshubhai Patel, Modi’s predecessor as chief minister, who has returned to active politics to run for office with his Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP), but a man more than 40 years his junior: an industrialist by the name of Naresh Patel, who says that he “would personally like to see a change in Gujarat”.

Most businessmen’s personal preferences count for little in an election, but the 47-year-old promoter of Patel Brass Works in Rajkot is known to be a very convincing man.

Over the past seven years, Naresh Patel has emerged as the tallest, non-political leader of the Leuva Patels. His influence has been built up slowly through the steady accumulation of gifts to the community: the building of educational institutions, clinics, sports facilities and even a temple.

This January, hundreds of thousands gathered on the outskirts of Rajkot at the building site of a temple to the goddess Khodiyar. A team from the Guinness Book of Records was also present, registering a record for the largest number of people shaking hands together—some 21,000.

“There was lack of unity among Leuva Patels and it was necessary to bind them,” said Patel. Although Patel maintains that the meeting was an apolitical one, it was attended by leaders from both the Congress and the BJP, including Keshubhai Patel.

Keshubhai was allowed to speak on the occasion because “he is our senior most leader,” said Patel. “It gave him confidence when he saw such a large crowd support him.”

Patel is a successful fund-raiser; he says he raised Rs.80 crore in donations at the temple meeting and claims to have raised Rs.2.5 core in 40 minutes on an earlier occasion.

The temple work (to include an orphanage, a sports complex and an agriculture university) will be carried out in two phases and will cost around Rs.350-400 crore. So far, Patel, who is also the president of the Shree Khodaldham Trust, which is building the temple, has already collected over Rs.200 crore.

It’s not hard to see why the political parties came wooing Patel once the election season began. Not only did the BJP leaders ask his advice on which candidates to field in Saurashtra, the region which is going to the polls on 13 December, but Patel was repeatedly offered a Congress ticket, he said.

Patel would not comment on the speculation that it was he who convinced his erstwhile neighbour, Keshubhai, to launch the GPP, a party of Patels to challenge Modi. He instead claims he has no political ambition.

Patel, an ardent sitar player and singer, is something of a local celebrity. He has been ceremonially weighed by his community 108 times, in blood (as part of a blood donation drive), coins and silver.

“That’s a respect to a person. Paying by blood is a sign of respect, and it’s not just done for me, it has been done to others also,” Patel said.

Today, he looks after the industries, including Patel Brass Works, which he claims has an annual turnover of Rs.150 crore; the business was established by his father. In all, he runs 11 institutions and trusts, some alongside his two brothers.

He’s also something of a local arbitrator. Patel says people from various parts of the state come to him with their problems. “Most of these cases are related to medical emergencies, admission, crime and industrial issues. I handle at least four-five medical emergencies everyday. I try to call up the right people and solve the issues,” he says.

His wife Shalini, who hails from Haryana and was a year senior to him in college, says her husband is not driven by personal gains. “He is very simple and is always with us despite being so busy,” she says. They have three children, two of whom are studying in Singapore.

Patel, who cycles to his mother’s house daily and doesn’t drive expensive cars, is extremely reluctant to affiliate himself with any political cause, preferring to be a kind of universal political guru. “If they (politicians) come to me with a candidate’s name, I give my views on the person,” he said. He says that it’s “not in his nature to sit with these people (political parties)” and hence he would never contest elections.

Even if Patel won’t commit to a party, he is not without a sense of what needs to be done to improve his community’s lot. The law and order machinery in Rajkot, he says, needs an overhaul. And the region is facing a severe water crisis. “There are governance issues.” While the Leuva Patels could influence the outcome of polls in about 30-35 seats in Saurashtra, Naresh Patel feels that the BJP has strong chances to win the polls, though with a fewer seats than it did the last time. Yet, he adds: “I think it’s time for change in leadership. I think Modi should go.”