Influential Patel leader and former MP Vitthal Radadia along with his son Jayesh resigned as Congress MLAs on Monday, thus paving the way for their joining the BJP.
Influential Patel leader and former MP Vitthal Radadia along with his son Jayesh resigned as Congress MLAs on Monday, thus paving the way for their joining the BJP.
Vitthal Radadia, who resigned as Porbandar MP after being elected as MLA from Dhoraji seat in the December assembly elections, met Speaker Vaju Vala on Monday afternoon and submitted his resignation as MLA. Jayesh, MLA from Jetpur seat, also tendered his resignation.
With the twin resignations, the Congress’s strength in the house of 182 has come down further from 60 to 58.
“I have submitted my resignation to protest negative policies of the Congress towards Gujarat. In spite of all its negative efforts, Congress could not prevent Narendra Modi from winning a third consecutive term as CM,” the senior Radadia said after submitting his resignation.
He alleged that farmers in Gujarat have suffered because of Congress’s politics over the Narmada issue. He also showered praises on Modi, saying that the state and country have seen and experienced the development taking place in Gujarat under him.
“He has taken Gujarat to new heights of development, and is the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections,” Radadia said further.
The father-son duo then went to Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee office in Ahmedabad and submitted their resignations from the Congress party.
In a release, the Congress said that the two MLAs had not taken prior permission from the party for their resignations, and were being suspended for six years.
Radadia is a strong Leuva Patel leader from Saurashtra. As an MP, he was tipped to be given a berth in the Union ministry a few months ago. However, the incident where he allegedly brandished a gun at a toll plaza in Vadodara district scuttled this chance. He later resigned as MP after winning the assembly election in a bid to focus on state politics. He was eyeing the post of leader of Opposition in the assembly, but was upset at being overlooked in favour of Shankarsinh Vaghela.
It is believed that the BJP has assured a ticket for Radadia from Porbandar seat in the next LS elections, while Jayesh has been assured ticket from Dhoraji assembly seat in the by-election.
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