TIL Desk/National/Ahmedabad/ Quota spearhead Hardik Patel’s key aides–Varun Patel and Reshma Patel–have joined the ruling BJP in poll-bound Gujarat in a dramatic turn of events. The development came yesterday hours after state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki invited Hardik Patel to join hands with the party.
Solanki even promised to give an additional 20 per cent reservation to economically backward classes in the state if the Congress is voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls.
Varun Patel and Reshma Patel were among the prominent faces of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and remained critical of the ruling BJP during the agitation.
They joined the BJP after a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani during its parliamentary board meeting, which was also attended by BJP president Amit Shah.
After joining the BJP, the Patidar leaders alleged that Hardik Patel had become a “Congress agent” and was trying to use the agitation to overthrow the present state government.
