Congress leader Hardik Patel’s dream of becoming a MP was dashed on Tuesday (April 2) when Supreme Court refused to accord urgent hearing to his plea challenging the Gujarat High Court order dismissing stay on his conviction in the 2015 Vispur rioting case.

Patel was preparing to file nominations to contest from Jamnagar seat on a Congress ticket and the last date for filing the nominations is April 4. He had previously joined Congress on March 12.

The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justices Arun Mishra, M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha. The bench told the counsel appearing for Patel that there was no immediacy in hearing the matter as the high court passed order in August last year.

“The order was passed in August 2018. What is the urgency now?” the bench said while refusing the urgent hearing.

Patel had challenged the March 29 Gujarat High Court order rejecting his plea in which he had sought quashing of Mehsana court decision convicting him for involvement in 2015 Vispur rioting case.

The Mehsana court had ordered a two-year imprisonment in July last year. Law bars convicted persons from contesting the elections and hence Patel can’t contest elections.

—India Legal Bureau