Former Congress Leader Hardik Patel To Join BJP On June 2, Says Party Spokesperson

Former Congress leader Hardik Patel will join the BJP on June 2 in the presence of Gujarat party president C R Paatil, a state party spokesperson said on Tuesday.

After Patidar quota agitation leader Patel recently resigned from the Congress, there were speculations that he may join the ruling BJP. He had praised the BJP's decision-making capacity and style of functioning, while severely criticising the Congress leadership.

"It is confirmed that Hardik Patel will join the BJP on June 2 in the presence of state president C R Paatil," BJP's state spokesperson Yagnesh Dave told PTI. 
 Patel had joined the Congress in 2019. 

Before quitting the Congress earlier this month, Patel wrote a scathing letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming the Congress "only played the role of a roadblock" over certain key issues in the country and was "merely reduced to opposing everything". 

Without taking any name, he said in the letter that whenever he raised issues of the people of Gujarat, senior Congress leaders were busy checking messages on their mobile phones, and some leaders were “enjoying abroad” when the party and the country needed them.

Patel had since sometime been critical of the Congress and recently praised the BJP.

In a tweet, Patel said, "Today, after mustering courage, I am resigning from my party post and primary membership of the Congress. I hope my followers and people of Gujarat will welcome my step. I believe that I will be able to serve the state better after this step."

(With PTI Inputs)