Hardik Patel with Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence Matoshree in Bandra yesterday. Pic/Nimesh Dave

In an attempt to woo the Gujarati community, Shiv Sena brought in a rising political star from the state – Hardik Patel. The 23-year-old, who was the face of the Patidar reservation agitation in Gujarat, came down to Mumbai yesterday afternoon to meet Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree. Their ‘friendship’ is to persuade two lakh Patidar Patels, which account for 10 per cent of the 22 lakh Gujaratis in Mumbai to vote for the Sena in the upcoming BMC elections.