AHMEDABAD (TIP): Patidar leader Hardik Patel said on Thursday that he would support the Congress in the Gujarat assembly elections, providing a shot in the arm for the opposition party aiming to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party which has ruled the state for 22 years.

The 24-year-old Patel said he was assured by senior Congress leaders of support for the community’s demand for Other Backward Classes (OBC) status – guaranteeing quotas in jobs and education.

Patel, who leads the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), said he was scheduled to meet Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s Gujarat visit between November 1 and 3.

“I am sure (that) in that meeting he will promise OBC status if the Congress is voted to power in Gujarat. After that, the PAAS will declare its support to the Congress for the upcoming assembly elections,” Patel said.

OBCs comprise 146 castes and make up around 40% of the state’s population.

They are given 27% quota in jobs and education. The scheduled castes have 7% and the scheduled tribes 15% ,making a total of 49%, just under the 50% reservation cap set by the Supreme Court.