Two Congress MLAs quit in Gujarat, one joins BJP

Koli community leader and party MLA from Dhrangadhra seat in Surendranagar district Parshottam Sabariya, an accused in a scam pertaining to minor irrigation department and who was also in jail recently, handed over his resignation to Speaker Rajendra Trivedi. He hinted that he might join BJP soon.

Earlier Party MLA from Manavadar seat in Junagadh district, Jawahar Chavda, had resigned from the party and Gujarat Assembly and later joined the BJP.

Amid speculations of such resignations doing the rounds, Chavda, who was deemed as a core-Congress man, reached the residence of Speaker Rajendra Trivedi and handed over his resignation from the Assembly.

Trivedi later told reporters that Chavda and Sabariya have not given any reason for the resignation in the letter handed over to him. "We have received two resignations today and both have been accepted," he said.

It is fourth resignation of Congress MLAs since the last Assembly election. Earlier senior Koli leader Kunvarji Bavaliya and Patel leader Ashaben Patel had resigned from the party. Another party MLA Bhagwan Barad has recently been sacked from the house after his conviction in a mineral theft case.

Now, the number of Congress MLAs in the 182-member House has come down to 72. The BJP has 100 MLAs.

Fifty-four-year old Ahir community leader Chavda, who has won the Manavadar seat for three consecutive terms since 2007, joined BJP at its state headquarters in Koba near here this afternoon. BJP state general secretary K.C. Patel, ministers Pradipsinh Jadeja and Jayesh Radadiya and former minister Mulu Bera placed a saffron scarf on his shoulders to mark his formal entry to the party.

Talking to reporters, Chavda said he had been in the Congress for over three decades and he had no issues with party. However, he thought it fit to join the BJP so that he could serve the people better.

He also said that in the current scenario, when PM Narendra Modi, who is from Gujarat, was attacking terrorists by entering their den, it was a correct step to support him and join hands with him.

He said that he had sent his resignation from the primary membership of Congress, its state vice-president post, to party president Rahul Gandhi through email.

"I was elected on a Congress ticket and so I have also resigned from the Assembly seat. Now I am in the BJP and it is up to the party to decide a role for me be it contesting election or making me minister," he said.

He said he had nothing against Congress and but he was not feeling joyous while serving the people.

"It was like going to another hotel for eating without any major reason," he said.

Jadeja said that BJP would certainly become stronger in Saurashtra due to entry of a stalwart like Chavda.

To a query about the possibility of including him in the council of ministers, Jadeja said that it was up to the party to take a call on it.

Image: facebook.com/AshokGehlot.Rajasthan