Ahead of polls, saffron party boosts youth power

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday made inroads into the Congress’ much talked about youth power, with many old and new faces of the Congress switching loyalty to the BJP in Rajkot, in the presence of Purshottam Rupala and Vijay Rupani. Other BJP leaders present were Vajubhai Vala, IK Jadeja and Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

Against Rahul Gandhi’s policy of catching them young, Rupala stormed the political arena by taking into the BJP fold senior Congressman Manoharsinh Jadeja’s son Yuvraj Mandhatasinh Jadeja and young men like Kiran Patel.

Leaders who joined BJP, along with their supporters, include new faces like Jadeja and Patel. Congress leaders like Chandresh Patel (ex-MP Jamnagar), Tapubhai Limbasia (ex-MLA Rajkot), Dhanraj Kaila, ex-MLA (Surendranagar), Chunibhai Gohel (ex-MLA, Veraval), and others like Shamjibhai Chawda (Independent - Chotila) and Suresh Prajapati (Vankaner), Amit Mehta (grandson of former Congress chief minister Chabildas Mehta), who fought last elections against the BJP also joined the saffron party. People like Karnabhai Maldhari (Mul Niwasi Sangh-Rajkot), Faruk Bawani (Congress-Rajkot), who had opposed the BJP not long ago, formally joined the BJP at the function.

In their speeches, Mandhatasinh Jadeja and Kiran Patel showered lavish praises on the Modi administration.

On their part, Rupani and Rupala used the occasion to take a dig at Rahul Gandhi.
Rupani said, “The BJP is being accepted by all sections of society.” Rupala appealed to the new members to celebrate election as a festival.