Gandhinagar, March 19 : Former Congress MLA Joita Patel, ex-candidate Lebji Thakor, and several others, including Gujarati folk singer Dev Pagli, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the state party headquarters here on Tuesday.

The presence of Dev Pagli, who is known for his rural folk music, was particularly noteworthy among the new BJP members.

In his response to the day's events, Dev Pagli expressed his long-standing admiration for the BJP, citing the construction of the Ram Temple (in Ayodhya) and the party's developmental initiatives as critical factors influencing his decision to join the BJP formally.

Before launching his singing career, Dev Pagli, who hails from the Aseda village in Banaskantha and was named Dev Puri, dreamt of becoming a cricketer or actor.

His journey took him to Mumbai and Vadodara, but his return to music finally brought him success.

His hit songs like 'Lakh Rupee No Ghaghra' are popular among the youth.

/IANS