Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel is all set to join Bharatiya Janata Party on June 2 days after quitting Congress, reported news agency ANI. The development comes ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections, scheduled in December this year.

"It is confirmed that Hardik Patel will join the BJP on June 2 in the presence of state president CR Paatil," BJP's state spokesperson Yagnesh Dave told PTI.

Patel had quit all Congress party posts on May 18 and had been tight-lipped on his next political move.

"Today, after mustering courage, I am resigning from the party post and primary membership of the Congress. I hope my followers and people of Gujarat will welcome my step. I believe that I will be able to serve the state better after this step," Patel had tweeted after quitting Congress.

आज मैं हिम्मत करके कांग्रेस पार्टी के पद और पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से इस्तीफा देता हूँ। मुझे विश्वास है कि मेरे इस निर्णय का स्वागत मेरा हर साथी और गुजरात की जनता करेगी। मैं मानता हूं कि मेरे इस कदम के बाद मैं भविष्य में गुजरात के लिए सच में सकारात्मक रूप से कार्य कर पाऊँगा। pic.twitter.com/MG32gjrMiY

— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) May 18, 2022

His outfit Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, which was at the forefront of the agitation for reservation benefits in government jobs and college admissions, had declared its support to the Congress party in the local body elections in 2015 and Gujarat assembly polls in 2017, giving a tough competition to the BJP. He joined the Congress on March 12, 2019, but did not contest the Lok Sabha election that year due to his conviction in a case.

First Published:May 31, 2022 12:14 PM IST