Will work as Modi's soldier: Hardik Patel

Gandhinagar: After intently watching his performance for close to seven years, the BJP finally granted Hardik Patel entry into its fold on Thursday, albeit pouring some chilled water on his aspirations for a grand entry.

Unlike his entry into the Congress a little more than three years back, when he was welcomed by the then party national president Rahul Gandhi during a mega show of strength, no national leader of the BJP attended his induction to the saffron party.

Patel was later accompanied by BJP Gujarat media cell coordinator Yagnesh Dave for a brief media interaction where he stated that he had disassociated himself from the Patidar quota agitation since 2019 and refrained from talking about the strong statements he had made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah during the days of his agitation.


He, however, pointed out that while still in the Congress, he had lauded the NDA government’s decisions such as to construct the Ram Temple and abolish Article 370.

He reiterated that all he wanted to do was to work and expressed hope to do so in his new party and claimed that he would work as a small soldier in the great developmental works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said he would start a campaign to get Congress leaders to leave the party.

Interestingly, Patel’s joining in BJP was attended by religious leaders like Avichal Das, Ramkumar Das and Nautam Swami apart from leaders from BJP’s Gujarat unit. It was Nautam Swami, who had earlier commented that Patel should join a Hindutvavadi party, indicating towards the BJP.

While the Congress had ab-initio placed significant importance on Patel and brandished the same by inducting him during an all-important Congress Working Committee meeting. He later was seen on the dais of a Congress rally at Adalaj, rubbing shoulders with the senior Congress leaders.

But soon he started complaining about being sidelined in the party and finally he resigned from the Congress.

While the young Patidar leader had risen to prominence riding an apparent anti-BJP movement back in 2015 and went on to join the Congress and become its working president of the state unit in 2019, he soon got restive. ET on May 16 reported that he was likely to join the BJP.

Patel’s entry into the BJP may hurt the Congress in the forthcoming assembly election as he continues to enjoy some support of the Patidar community. Further, Rahul Gandhi in his last rally in Dahod, Gujarat had practically snubbed Patel and sang praises of Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, which led to the allegations of the Congress being basically hostile towards the Patidar community, that forms a decisive chunk of Gujarat’s voter base.
Gandhinagar: After intently watching his performance for close to seven years, the BJP finally granted Hardik Patel entry into its fold on Thursday, albeit pouring some chilled water on his aspirations for a grand entry.

Unlike his entry into the Congress a little more than three years back, when he was welcomed by the then party national president Rahul Gandhi during a mega show of strength, no national leader of the BJP attended his induction to the saffron party.

Patel was later accompanied by BJP Gujarat media cell coordinator Yagnesh Dave for a brief media interaction where he stated that he had disassociated himself from the Patidar quota agitation since 2019 and refrained from talking about the strong statements he had made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah during the days of his agitation.

He, however, pointed out that while still in the Congress, he had lauded the NDA government’s decisions such as to construct the Ram Temple and abolish Article 370.

He reiterated that all he wanted to do was to work and expressed hope to do so in his new party and claimed that he would work as a small soldier in the great developmental works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said he would start a campaign to get Congress leaders to leave the party.

Interestingly, Patel’s joining in BJP was attended by religious leaders like Avichal Das, Ramkumar Das and Nautam Swami apart from leaders from BJP’s Gujarat unit. It was Nautam Swami, who had earlier commented that Patel should join a Hindutvavadi party, indicating towards the BJP.

While the Congress had ab-initio placed significant importance on Patel and brandished the same by inducting him during an all-important Congress Working Committee meeting. He later was seen on the dais of a Congress rally at Adalaj, rubbing shoulders with the senior Congress leaders.

But soon he started complaining about being sidelined in the party and finally he resigned from the Congress.

While the young Patidar leader had risen to prominence riding an apparent anti-BJP movement back in 2015 and went on to join the Congress and become its working president of the state unit in 2019, he soon got restive. ET on May 16 reported that he was likely to join the BJP.

Patel’s entry into the BJP may hurt the Congress in the forthcoming assembly election as he continues to enjoy some support of the Patidar community. Further, Rahul Gandhi in his last rally in Dahod, Gujarat had practically snubbed Patel and sang praises of Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, which led to the allegations of the Congress being basically hostile towards the Patidar community, that forms a decisive chunk of Gujarat’s voter base.