Another Congress MLA quits to join BJP ahead of Gujarat Assembly polls; second in 2 days

Ahmedabad, November 9

In another jolt to the opposition Congress on the second day in a row ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls, senior MLA Bhagwan Barad on Wednesday resigned as a legislator and primary member and is set to join the BJP.

Barad, who represents the Talala seat in Gir Somnath district, sent his resignation letter to Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and also handed it over to Speaker Nimaben Acharya.

Barad told reporters in Gandhinagar that he decided to quit the party after consulting his supporters and will join the BJP without any pre-condition to get a poll ticket.

A day earlier, veteran Congress MLA and tribal leader Mohansinh Rathva resigned as a legislator and party member and crossed over to the BJP.

A prominent tribal leader, Rathva is a ten-time MLA and currently represents the Chhota Udaipur (ST) constituency in central Gujarat.

Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls, the Congress had won 77 seats restricting BJP’s tally at 99 in the 182-member House.