Congress chief whip in Gujarat quits party, bags BJP ticket for RS poll


Gandhinagar, Jul 27 (IANS): In a blow to the Congress in Gujarat, three of its senior legislators resigned from the party and joined the BJP with the Chief Whip bagging a Rajya Sabha ticket that could threaten the chances of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel in the biennial election.

Chief Whip Balwantsinh Rajput, MLA from Siddhpur who is rebel leader Shankersinh Vaghela's relative, was named by the BJP for the third Rajya Sabha seat for which Patel has filed his nomination. BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani are the other two party candidates.

The other two MLAs are Tejashree Patel from Viramgam, and Vijapur legislator P.I. Patel.

The three submitted their resignations to Speaker Ramanlal Vora on Thursday afternoon and later headed for the BJP headquarters, Kamalam, to join the party.

Within minutes of joining the BJP, Balwantsinh Rajput was named the third Rajya Sabha candidate of the BJP.

Rajput was already rumoured to be planning to contest the Rajya Sabha election against official party nominee Ahmed Patel.

Balwantsinh Rajput's daughter is married to Mahendrasinh, the son of rebel leader Shankersinh Vaghela. Mahendrasinh is an MLA.

All three MLAs are believed to be close to Vaghela, who quit as Leader of Opposition on his birthday on July 21 alleging that there was an intra-party conspiracy to oust him from the Congress.

Notwithstanding Vaghela's claims that he would not damage Congress interests, he and his supporters may back Rajput which could harm the chances of Patel, who is seeking a fifth term in the Rajya Sabha.

A candidate needs 46 first preference votes and the Congress has 56 MLAs. Vaghela is said to command the support of 11 rebels. If all the rebels vote against Patel, then it will be a close contest in the August 8 election.

Tejashree Patel and P.I. Patel asserted that the Congress had failed to take a position on the demand of the Patidars (Patels) for reservation to the community in government jobs and educational institutions.

"I have resigned from the Congress with a very heavy heart. I have worked for the party for 25 long years," Tejashree Patel, a firebrand woman leader and one of the most active legislators of the Congress in the state Assembly, bemoaned.

"From top to bottom, there is intra-party politicking in the Congress. The party never took a clear position on the aspirations of the Patidars," she said. "I have joined Narendra Modi's journey of development," she added.

Similarly, P.I. Patel also said, "The Congress has done injustice to the Patels."

Balwantsinh Rajput echoed Tejashree Patel and said, "Modi is Vikas Purush."

Rajput and P.I. Patel are from the North Gujarat constituency of Vijapur. Vaghela hails from North Gujarat too.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Bengaluru/Katapadi

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    The elected members are not having any morality as they change the party as they change the shirt

    DisAgree [2] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • raj, mangaluru

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    of course bro, you can not make money under congress...bjp is business mind govt. they worried about only business or nothing else.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    congress cleanses from corrupt & communal blp minded politicians. good dat 1ly good leaders remain in congress. easy 4 rahulji.

    DisAgree [13] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Devkumar, Madikeri/New Delhi

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Wants to wait and watch how the things move in karnataka before election.
    You can demand a separate flag or religion will not be fulfilled. People are not fool..will teach lesson as done in U.P.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sandeep, Mang

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    With anti Hindu philosophy chor party shall never win Single election in India. Day by day congress mukt Bharath becoming reality

    DisAgree [5] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Desi Jawan, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Another nail in the coffin

    DisAgree [4] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sathish shetty, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    To lift the coffin China help is under deal.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • SMR, Karkala

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    In almost all his rallies, BJP president Amit Shah has reiterated the slogan of a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’, claiming that the party is going to rid the country of the Congress. But instead of a Congress-mukt, or free, India, the BJP seems to be aiming at a Congress-yukt India – one filled with Congress men and women. Most of the leaders the party rode to victory with in the recent elections were formerly Congress members. Manipur‘s Biren is only one example.
    With N. Biren Singh taking the oath as chief minister, the BJP formed a government for the first time in the northeastern state of Manipur. Biren was a cabinet minister in the state’s previous Congress-led government. He left the Congress to join the BJP in October last year.
    In Uttarakhand, Satpal Maharaj, his wife Amrita Rawat, former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, former assembly speaker Yashpal Arya, former minister Harak Singh Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, Pranav Singh, Kedar Singh Rawat, Pradeep Batra and Rekha Arya were all Congress leaders before joining the BJP recently.
    Maharaj, Yashpal, Harak, Uniyal and Rekha have each found a place each in Uttarakhand’s recently formed nine-member cabinet. They have all once been strong Congress leaders in the state.
    In Uttar Pradesh, long-time Congress leaders Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Amarpal Tyagi, Dhirendra Singh, Ravi Kishan and several others recently joined the BJP. Many of them contested the assembly elections on BJP tickets and won.
    A classic example of this tend is, of course, Arunachal Pradesh. In the 2014 assembly polls, 42 of 60 legislative assembly members in the state where Congress leaders.
    Like the old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, leaders from other political parties come to the BJP and are exchanged for new ones. Earlier, it was commonly believed that there are people from the BJP in the Congress. But for the first time, one can say that there are people from the Congress within the BJP.”
    Jai Hind

    DisAgree [8] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, Udupi

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    One more step closer to Congress Mukth Bharath

    DisAgree [4] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • MILAN, LUCERNE

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    ONE DAY BJP WILL GET CAUGHT. EVERYDAY CANNOT BE EID FOR BJP.

    DisAgree [13] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • prem, moodbidri

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    Corrupt politicians from all parties should join BJP. So that, they can be converted from 'Corrupt' to 'Pure and Pious' & get 'Desh Bhakth' certificate from BJP.

    In addition, they will get huge amount of money too for life long enjoyment.

    Only the people, who voted them will have to live with expectation of getting 15 Lakhs from Feku!

    Whoever in non-BJP party, they are corrupt and anti-nationals by default!

    Jai Ho

    DisAgree [12] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • sampath, India

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Sorry no space for sonia and rahul..

    DisAgree [3] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • ravi shetty, mangalore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Burnol moment for dongi congi supporters.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Swamy, Mangalore

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    One more step closer to civil war in India.

    DisAgree [25] Agree [27] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    BJP is merrily buying opposition leaders with money from Ambani, Adani & Ramdev.
    Who is going to tell these uneducated duffers that India is heading towards Dictatorship ...

    DisAgree [31] Agree [40] Reply Report Abuse

  • hemanth, Bangalore

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    Sir you are the only few educated, intelligent people left in India.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • prem, moodbidri

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    As soon as Central Govt announced 500 crores to Gujarat state as an aid for flood relief, shameless politicians are running towards BJP for grabbing their share!

    DisAgree [8] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • j.anata, Mangaluru / Bengaluru

    Thu, Jul 27 2017

    If it was buying, they could have done it in 2014 itself. Here we have people coming to BJP with their conscience

    DisAgree [6] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Ambani, Adani & Ramdev have become super rich only after 2014 ...

    DisAgree [6] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Devkumar, Madikeri/New Delhi

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    True democracy prevails now. People are happy having one single largest party having no corruption charges yet. Looks like congress is going to litter into pieces in near future..people started to throng into other parties.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Indian, Mlore/Blore

    Fri, Jul 28 2017

    Now it is a happy era of BJP. But that will not be permanent always it has to come down one day or the other. Until that day comes all ppl will be keeping on praising like top of the moon. As if everything is done by them is striking gold.
    But one thing we should also have a strong opposition, otherwise it will be like a dictatorship rule and we have to behave like slaves.
    But our PM is a good orator and knows very well to messerize ppl minds very nicely with all fake promises.
    Which our ppl can't understand at all.
    Please open ur eyes ppl. A strong opposition is required.
    Ppl are losing jobs like anything in India and no opening of any jobs now adays, unemployment is keeping on increasing

    DisAgree [4] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Congress chief whip in Gujarat quits party, bags BJP ticket for RS poll



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