lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Mar 09, 2019 07:25 IST

Two more Congress legislators in Gujarat resigned from the party on Friday, a development that comes just four days ahead of the March 12 Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Ahmedabad.

Jawahar Chavda, a four-time Congress MLA and son of Congress veteran Pethalji Chavda of Junagadh district, joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday. Dhrangadhra MLA Purshottam Sabariya also resigned on Friday. “I wasn’t enjoying in the Congress anymore. I have not betrayed the party but I felt like joining the BJP to strengthen Modiji’s hands,” Chavda told reporters after joining the BJP.

Assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi accepted their resignations. Friday’s resignations come days after Congress MLA from Unjha, Asha Patel joined the BJP. Months ago, key Congress MLA Kunwarji Bawalia joined the ruling party and was made a cabinet minister the same day.

State Congress chief Amit Chavda slammed the BJP for the development: “The BJP has been trying divide-and-rule strategy ahead of the LS [Lok Sabha] polls...”. Senior Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar told reporters: “He [Chavda] had never raised any issues nor has he given any reasons for quitting.”

There is speculation that at least three more Congress legislators are in touch with the BJP leadership and may quit soon. BJP state president Jitu Vaghani said, “The Congress is in complete disarray. Their own senior leaders have lost the faith and are joining the BJP.” The latest development has reduced the Congress tally to 72 in 182-member assembly. Giving its best performance since 1995, the Congress had won 77 seats in 2017 state elections.