Gujarat’s perhaps officially richest politician NRI businessman Chandu K. Patel(C.K.Patel), who contested the 2007 Gujarat assembly election from Himmatnagar constituency on a Congress ticket and lost by 8,700 votes, Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with a large number of his supporters.

C.K.Patel is considered a deep pocket NRI Gujarati who owns $34-million commercial property in US including the Hilton Hotel Resort at Dana Point and community halls for Gujaratis in California. Patel has been elected president of the National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIAA) though he has not formally assumed office. NFIAA had sponsored astronaut Sunita Williams’ visit to India.

Last year when C.K.Patel contested Gujarat assembly election from Himmatnagar constituency in North Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district, he was the richest candidate across the state with assets totaling Rs.2.21 billion. Patel had used a slogan ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’ in his election campaign.

“I am impressed by the dynamic leadership of the chief minister. It is due to his sincere efforts that Nano has come to Gujarat. There was no constructive work in the Congress and I didn’t like the way they opposed development projects. People in US are happy with Modi for the way he could bring the Nano project to Gujarat. Other CMs were trying to get this project too, but Modi who pulled it off for Gujarat. on sensing the mood of the people, I decided I should be with the organisation which has a constructive approach rather then being on the negative side,” C.K. Patel said while joining BJP officially in presence of Gujarat BJP President Purushottam Rupala in a public function at Modasa on Wednesday evening. Three ex-Congress MLAs from Sabarkantha district, more than 90 Sarpanchs(village heads) from Bhiloda taluka, more than 20 sarpanchs from Bayad taluka and more than 70 district Congress leaders too joined BJP in this function along with their around 3000 supporters.