Hardik Patel officially joins BJP after quitting Congress months ahead of Gujarat elections

Hardik Patel who had resigned from the Congress last month on Thursday joined the BJP in Gandhinagar months ahead of the Gujarat elections. Posters welcoming the Patidar leader to the BJP fold were put outside the party office on Thursday morning. In a tweet on Thursday morning, Hardik Patel announced that he will be starting a new chapter in his life, working as a small soldier under the leadership of PM Modi.

On Tuesday, ending speculation over Hardik’s next move after he walked out of the Congress on May 18, Gujarat BJP media convenor Yagnesh Dave had said: “Yes, he (Hardik) will join the BJP with his supporters at the party’s state headquarters Shree Kamalam. Party president C R Paatil will remain present on the occasion.”Hardik Patel, the lynchpin of the agitation of the Patidar community demanding reservation, had earlier made his identity as a staunch critic of the BJP. before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he joined the Congress and later was appointed as the working president of the party's state unit. As he resigned on May 19, he said he was sidelined in the party and was not even given any responsibility.