Ahead of former Congress leader Hardik Patel’s induction into the party, posters welcoming the political leader to the Bharatiya Janata Party were put outside the party office in Gandhinagar.

In May this year, Hardik Patel quit Congress after “feeling ignored” by the party high command. He is all set to join the BJP today. Before joining the party, he performed ‘pooja’ at his residence in Ahmedabad.

Also read: Ahead of Gujarat elections, Hardik Patel to join BJP on June 2

Earlier today, heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patel said he will work as a “small soldier” to serve the nation under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

“With the feelings of national interest, state interest, public interest and social interest, I am going to start a new chapter from today. I will work as a small soldier in the noble work of service to the nation under the leadership of the successful Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi,” Hardik Patel said in a tweet.

Also read: Who is Hardik Patel?

Hardik Patel catapulted to the political centre stage in 2015 when he spearheaded the Patidar reservation agitation in Gujarat, building the campaign in the run-up to the 2017 state Assembly elections.

Initially, the former Congress leader demanded OBC status for the Patidar community. Subsequently, it was transformed into a demand for reservations for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS).

Also read: Hardik Patel’s resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi: 10 points

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Hardik Patel joined Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. He was then appointed as the working president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee in Gujarat in 2020.