Former Congress leader Hardik Patel to join BJP on June 2

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

After Patidar quota movement leader Patel resigned from the Congress, there were rumours that he might join the ruling BJP. He commended the BJP's decision-making abilities and organisational approach while sharply criticising the Congress leadership.

"Hardik Patel has confirmed that he would join the BJP on June 2 in the presence of state president C R Paatil," BJP state spokesman Yagnesh Dave told PTI. Patel joined the Congress party in 2019 and was appointed to the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee in July of 2020. Patel had resigned from the Congress party after criticising the party's senior leadership and claiming that Congress had been reduced to a mere political opposition.

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Patel penned a blistering letter to Congress head Sonia Gandhi before leaving the party earlier this month, stating that the party "just played the role of a bottleneck" on certain crucial problems in the country and was "merely limited to opposing everything."

Patel stated in a letter to Congress working president Sonia Gandhi that Congress was not acting as a constructive opposition and was merely opposing matters like as Ram Temple, CAA-NRC, Article 370 repeal, and others for the sake of opposing.

In response to the news, the Gujarat Congress said that Patel was in cahoots with the BJP and that his departure would have little effect on the Congress party. In December 2022, the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party hopes to reclaim power.

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(With PTI inputs)