Ahmedabad/Adalaj (Gandhinagar), Mar 12 (IANS); Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed confidence that Patidar leader Hardik Patel will not only contest the Lok Sabha polls but also win, soon after the youngster embraced the grand old party and set at rest speculations about his political affiliations.

"Hardik jeetega (will win)," Rahul snapped back at a question if Patel would contest the elections on Congress ticket. The Gandhi scion was speaking to reporters at the Ahmedabad airport after attending the party's working committee meeting here.

Patel formally joined the party at a public rally as Rahul Gandhi put a party scarf around him and welcomed him.

Patel, 25, was already at the Congress podium hours before the party rally at Adalaj, near state capital Gandhinagar, waving at the crowds cheering him. He was in tow with another young turk and OBC leader Alpesh Thakore.

The Congress public rally was being held after an all-important meeting of the party's key decision making arm, the Congress Working Committee. The CWC met for the first time in nearly 60 years in Gujarat.

Hardik Patel had announced months ago that he was keen on contesting the elections while he was yet to make up his mind from which party.

He had aggressively campaigned against the ruling BJP in the 2017 Assembly elections in which the opposition party came close to forming the government.