Hardik Patel likely to join BJP this week, a fortnight after quitting Congress

Hardik Patel is likely to join the BJP this week, nearly a fortnight after quitting the Congress. Amid speculation of him switching sides, the 28-year-old leader - on keeping his option - had said last week: "Why shouldn't it be…When the elections come, you will see me in an important role."

Patel has said he will join the BJP on Thursday (June 2), news agency ANI reported.

Gujarat is set to vote later this year. In the February-March round of state elections, the BJP had claimed a big win in four of the five states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa. In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party won. The party, ruling at the centre too, is now gearing up for the next set of assembly elections ahead of the 2024 national polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have often highlighted how the party with governments at the central and state levels - given the tag of "double engine sarkar" - has been successful in meeting people's expectations. The tag was used in the past by the opposition to target the BJP.

Meanwhile, Patel's resignation has been a big jolt to the Congress in Gujarat. He had lambasted the party earlier this month when he had quit. "Whenever our country faced challenges and when the Congress needed leadership, Congress leaders were enjoying abroad. Be it building the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, implementation of GST (Goods and Services Tax) — India wanted solutions for these subjects for a long time and Congress only played the role of a roadblock and was always only obstructive. When it came to issues related to India, Gujarat and my Patidar community — the Congress's only stand was to oppose whatever the Government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji did. Congress today has been rejected in almost every state of India because the party and its leadership have not been able to present a basic road map to the people,"

Patel had also served as Gujarat Congress working president. He emerged as a newsmaker in 2015 when he was just 21, and became the face of the Patel Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) to seek inclusion of Gujarat's Patel community as other backward classes (OBC) and get quota benefits in education and jobs.