Earlier this month, former Congress politician Hardik Patel quit the party after criticising its leadership. The Patidar leader is expected to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on June 2. The statement was made by party spokesperson Yagnesh Dave, in the presence of Gujarat BJP president CR Patil.
The former Congress leader started his political career in 2019, and in 2020, he played a key role in the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee. “It is confirmed that Hardik Patel will join the BJP on June 2 in the presence of state president CR Patil,” said BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave. This comes after Patel criticised the Congress leadership while alleging that the party has turned into a mere political opposition, and is not playing the role of a “constructive opposition”, as per his letter of resignation sent to Congress’ working president Sonia Gandhi.
The announcement was also made amid Patel refuting claims of joining the BJP. Notably, soon after he quit the Congress he said that he is not joining either the BJP or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Additionally, Patel had said that he “wasted” three years in Congress. However, reportedly, he has been in talks with the BJP for two months now. He has also praised the BJP’s decision-making and style of functioning before.
“I am not in the BJP yet and have not taken any decision to go,” said Patel to the reporters, while also praising the party on a range of issues like the Ayodhya verdict, and the scrapping of Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. In his letter of resignation to Sonia Gandhi, he has claimed that the Congress has “only played the role of a roadblock” on key issues of the country by merely opposing everything.
Patel’s change in political parties is also preceding the Gujarat assembly polls later this year.
Read more: Hardik Patel Withdrew From Congress Fearing Arrest In Sedition Charge: Gujarat PCC Chief
