'Have No Plans To Join BJP': Hardik Patel After Praising Saffron Party's Political Decisions

Hardik Patel praised the ruling BJP, saying the saffron party was strong because it had politicians with leadership qualities.

Gujarat Congress' working president Hardik Patel (Getty Images)

Source : Getty Images

New Delhi: After his outburst at the Congress party, Gujarat Congress' working president Hardik Patel on Friday clarified that he had no plans to join the BJP. However, the sulking Congress leader praised the ruling BJP, saying the saffron party was strong because it had politicians with leadership qualities, ANI reported.

"I have no plans to join BJP. I welcome the political decisions that have been taken by BJP recently. The party is strong in Gujarat as they have leadership with decision-making abilities. I hope the high command will listen to me," ANI quoted Hardik Patel as saying.

Interacting with reporters, Patel called himself a devotee of Lord Ram. "We believe in Lord Ram. On my father’s birth anniversary, I will distribute 4,000 copies of the Bhagavad Gita. We are Hindus, and proud to be Hindus," he said.

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Hardik Patel, who shot to limelight as the leader of the 2015 Patidar agitation, joined the Congress in March. The remarks by Patel come days after he expressed displeasure with the state Congress leadership.

Last week, Hardik Patel had said he had been sidelined and harassed in the Congress, and local leaders wanted him to leave the party. He said that he felt like a "groom forced into nasbandi (vasectomy)".

Patel said despite his representation to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi several times, no action was taken.

Amid reports of infighting in Congress, AAP Gujarat chief Gopal Italia offered Patel to join the party.

"Hardik Patel has come up as a leader on his own. He has expressed displeasure with the Congress leadership. We require leaders like Hardik in AAP Gujarat," Gopal Italia told reporters.

"Hardik should not waste his time putting his case before the Congress leadership as it would not yield any results," he further said.