Former Congress leader Hardik Patel will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 2 June, days after he quit the Congress party, sources told The Quint.
The Patidar leader quit the Congress on 18 May, days after claiming to be sidelined within the party and being excluded from important decisions.
Tweeting out the resignation letter, Patel said, "Today, I have mustered the courage to resign from all posts as well as the primary membership of the party. I believe that all my supporters and the people of Gujarat will stand by my decision. I also believe that following this decision, I will be able to work positively for Gujarat."
He further said that top leadership of the party was more concerned about "messages in their phones" and were abroad when the party needed leadership.
Speculation Of Joining AAP After Congress Exit
After he resigned from the Congress, speculations were rife that Patel would be joining either the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Gujarat Assembly election this year.
However, on Sunday, 29 May, Patel took to Facebook and said, "Punjab has realised with a very sad incident today, how deadly it is for any state government to go into chaotic hands. The brutal murder of an international kabaddi player a few days ago and famous young artist Sidhu Moose Wala's death today are raising important questions."
"The Chief Minister of Punjab and the people running the Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab government from Delhi will have to think whether they want to become another party like the Congress to inflict pain on Punjab or to do something for the people," he added.
On 16 May, reports suggested that Hardik Patel could well be heading towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that he is in touch with leaders in the party.
Praise for PM Modi, Abrogation of 370 In Resignation Letter
"When it came to issues related to India, Gujarat and my Patidar community Congress's only stand was to oppose whatever Government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji did!" Patel had said.
Patel's resignation from the Congress saw him praise the prime minister, and criticism the Congress for acting as a "roadblock".
"Be it in the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, implementation of GST – India wanted solutions for these problems for a long time and Congress only played the role of a roadblock and was always only obstructive," he said.
He further said that top leadership of the party was more concerned about "messages in their phones" and were abroad when the party needed leadership.
"I always felt that leaders were not really interested in hearing about problems concerning the people of Gujarat but were more engrossed on what messages they had received on their mobile and other such trivial things. Whenever our country faced challenges and whenever Congress needed leadership, Congress leaders were enjoying abroad! Senior leaders behave in a way like they hate Gujarat and Gujaratis. How in the world that the Congress then expects that the people of Gujarat will see them as an alternative to lead our state?" Patel asked.
(This is a developing story. It will be updated with more details.)
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