Gandhinagar, Jun 15 (IANS): Congress' Gujarat Working President Hardik Patel on Monday accused the BJP of circulating false reports of his joining the AAP in an attempt to malign his image and hide its state government's failure in dealing with the second wave of Covid.

"The reports from various media quarters that I am going to join the Aam Aadmi Party and become its face for the next elections in Gujarat are quite surprising. These reports are malicious in intent and are being released at the behest of the BJP in order to create confusion among the Congress supporters and the wider Patidar community.

"I am the youngest Working President in the more than 130-year history of the Congress party. I joined the party with the sole aim of removing the anti-farmer, anti-worker and anti-Patidar BJP government from Gujarat. After the tenure of Narendra Modi as CM post-2014, the conditions of all segments of society have worsened in Gujarat. As the Working President, I will continue to fulfil all my responsibilities in the state to ensure that Congress comes to power in Gujarat in 2022," he said in a series of tweets.

"My leaders Rahul Gandhiji and Priyanka Gandhiji have given leadership opportunity to many active youngsters across India and I am a living example of the same," he added.

Patel said that anyone joining the fight against the "misgovernance" of the BJP is more than welcome in Gujarat, but said that it was the Congress that came very close to forming the government last time in the state and expressed hope that the people will bring the party to power with a thumping majority in 2022.