Another Congress MLA resigns from Guj assembly; set to join BJP

Ahmedabad, Mar 6 (PTI) Congress MLA Arvind Ladani on Wednesday resigned from the membership of the Gujarat assembly, becoming the fourth legislator of the opposition party to quit in the last three months, and is set to join the BJP.

A first-time MLA from Manavadar seat in Junagadh district, Ladani submitted his resignation to assembly speaker Shankar Chaudhary at the latter’s official residence in Gandhinagar.

Chaudhary has accepted Ladani’s resignation, as per the speaker’s office.

Ladani had defeated BJP candidate Jawahar Chavda, a Congress turncoat, in the 2022 assembly polls by a slender margin of 3,400 votes.

Speaking to reporters, Ladani said he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Before Ladani, three MLAs of Congress namely Chirag Patel, CJ Chavda, and veteran Arjun Modhwadia, had resigned as members of the House and joined the BJP camp.

With the fresh setback, the Congress’ strength in the 182-member House is reduced to 13.

The Congress has been witnessing a steady decline in Gujarat in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Prominent leaders who have quit the Grand Old Party and joined BJP include Arjun Modhwadia, former Union Minister Naran Rathwa and his son, and Ambarish Der, a former state working president of Congress.

Modhwadia and Der resigned on Monday, expressing anguish over the Congress’s decision to “boycott” the Lord Ram temple consecration ceremony held in Ayodhya in January.

Interestingly, both leaders announced their decision to quit Congress just three days ahead of the scheduled entry of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Gujarat.

Congress leader from Jamnagar, Mulu Kandoriya who had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election in 2019, had also joined the BJP.

In the last elections, the BJP white-washed Congress by winning all 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.