Lotus blossoms in Gujarat: Patidar leader Hardik Patel decides to join BJP

28-year-old Hardik Patel, leader of the Patidar community, will be joining the ruling BJP on June 2nd at the party's headquarters in Gandhinagar along with his supporters.

Hardik will be inducted into the party in presence of state president C R Paatil. No central leader is likely to remain present, a BJP leader told DH while confirming the news.

Hardik had resigned from Congress earlier this month while accusing the grand old party of lacking "seriousness" on all issues. Hardik's resignation letter addressed to party's interim president Sonia Gandhi had mentioned, "Whenever our country faced challenges and when the Congress needed leadership, Congress leaders were enjoying abroad! Senior leaders behave in a way like they hate Gujarat and Gujaratis."

Before resigning from Congress as its state working president, Hardik repeatedly praised prime minister Narendra Modi's leadership and Bharatiya Janata Party for being a "decisive party" while criticising his own for "ignoring" him. A day later, he again lashed out at Congress for being the "casteist" party.

Hardik didn't respond to DH's attempts to reach out for a statement.

Rising to the limelight in 2015 for leading the Patidar agitation for reservation under the banner of "Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti." Hardik had joined the Congress in March 2019 in presence of party's former president Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and scores of top leaders in Gandhinagar in the run up to Lok Sabha poll.

A year later in July, 2020, he was elevated to the post of working president of Gujarat unit, the youngest to hold the important post. It will be noteworthy to see the role BJP offers to Hardik, who was once one of the most vocal critics of the ruling party.