Patel, who quit Congress, last month joined the BJP in the presence of party state chief CR Patil at the party head office here.
(File Photo: IANS)
Ahead of Assembly elections in Gujarat, Hardik Patel, former Congress leader joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today.
Patel, who quit Congress, last month joined the BJP in the presence of party state chief CR Patil at the party head office here.
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Earlier today, Patel said that he is joining the BJP to work and he will work as a “small soldier” to serve the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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He further said he has never put forth any demands before anyone for any post. “I am joining the BJP to work,” he said
He added, “When people are connecting with the ongoing development works in the country under the leadership of PM Modi, then I should also do the same. PM Modi is the pride of the entire world.”
Patel also urged other party leaders including Congress also to join BJP adding that he would launch a campaign to wean away Congress leaders in Gujarat.
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi the pride of the world, Patel said that after joining the BJP he would do an event every 10 days to ask Congress leaders, including MLAs, to join the BJP.
Hardik catapulted to the political centre stage in 2015 when he spearheaded the Patidar reservation agitation in Gujarat, building the campaign in the run-up to the 2017 state Assembly elections.
Initially, Patel demanded the OBC status for the Patidar community. Subsequently, it was transformed into a demand for reservations for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
His emergence on the political scene in the state put the then Chief Minister Anandiben Patel in a spot. In 2016, Anandiben Patel announced her resignation from the post.
Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Patel joined Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.
On May 19 this year, Patel resigned from the party and stated that Gujarat Congress leaders were least bothered to address real issues of the state.
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