The initial inspiration to enter politics came to Vallabhbhai from the success that his brother had achieved. He was also encouraged to think of a public career by the activities of various members of the elite in Ahmedabad, members of Indian political associations like the Gujarat Sabha, with whom he spent much time playing bridge at the Gujarat Club. With Vithalbhai he attended the 1915 session of the Bombay Presidency Political Conference organised by the Gujarat Sabha at which matters pertaining to municipal organisation were discussed. In 1915, Gandhiji returned from South Africa and came to settle in Ahmedabad. He set up an ashram in Kochrab village which was later moved to the banks of river Sabarmati. His experiences in South Africa and the doctrine of truth and non-violence become the subject of many discussions at the Gujarat club, and although initially Vallabhbhai took all these talks lightly, the accumulated effect of this exposure, his meeting with men who were politically active, and his brother’s success resulted in his simultaneous entry into two fields—the Ahmedabad Municipality and the Gujarat Sabha.
In 1917, there were by-election of Municipal Board. Vallabhbhai was made the candidate from the Dariyapur area and he won uncontested and elected to Ahmedabad Municipality. It was also in 1917 that Vallabhbhai came in contact with Gandhiji when the later had shot into limelight due to his Champaran Satyagraha. It was about this time that Gandhiji was elected president of the Gujarat Sabha. It’s first political conference was held at Godhra in 1917. Vallabhbhai was elected its secretary. It was the Gujarat Sabha that brought together the two who later became famous as the ‘Father of the Nation’ and the ‘Builder of the Nation’. Vallabhbhai was so much impressed by Gandhiji that he become his devoted disciple. As S.K. Patil has put it—
“The year 1917 brought a revolutionary change in Vallabhbhai’s life—a change that pushed him into public life and made him the most popular leader that he was. This was the year when the guru and the disciple met. The guru was Mahatma Gandhi and the disciple was Vallabhbhai Patel. The relation between the two had something of a divine touch in it.”
Gandhiji and Vallabhbhai made a strong team as President and Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha. Earlier it used to meet once a year and would pass resolutions and submit some petitions to the government. But now it was decided to set up an executive committee with Gandhiji as chairman and Vallabhbhai as secretary which would function with a fixed programme for the welfare of the masses. Under the secretaryship of Vallabhbhai the Sabha rendered services to the people of Gujarat in time of distress. When in 1917 plague broke out in Ahmedabad Vallabhbhai organised an anti-plague campaign. People looked to him with confidence to organise the relief measures. No single man in our country organised with so unfailing a success so many and so exclusive relief measures in natural calamities as Vallabhbhai did.
Vallabhbhai, as secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, took up the question of forced labour and fought for its abolition. It had become a custom for government officers, when on tour, to extract forced labour. Vallabhbhai wrote three letters to Mr. Pratt, the then Commissioner of Northern Division, to ascertain the government’s views on the subject. When nothing materialized he published and distributed leaflets among villagers to educate them against forced labour. It had the desired effect and people began to press for payment for the services rendered. This antagonized the government officers against Vallabhbhai but he remained unmoved.
