10-time Gujarat MLA quits Congress ahead of Assembly polls, joins BJP

Jolt to Congress: In a big jolt to Congress, its 10-time MLA in Gujarat Mohansinh Rathva quit the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party just ahead of the Assembly election in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. It has been two decades since Congress was in power.

The former Congress MLA  was inducted into the BJP by state general secretaries Bhargav Bhatt and Pradeepsinh Vaghela. Rathva, 78, who joined the BJP Tuesday evening, represents Chhota Udaipur (Scheduled Tribes, or ST) constituency. He sent his resignation letter to Gujarat Congress chief Jagdish Thakor.

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A popular tribal leader, Rathva represented Pavi-Jetpur (ST) constituency in Chhota Udaipur district before 2012.

Son rise

He himself had withdrawn from Gujarat election this time as he wanted to see his son, Rajendrasinh Rathva, fight from his seat.

Rathva was “100 per cent” sure BJP would give his son a ticket to contest the election.

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Son's wish

"However, I have not sought a ticket. I am getting old now. My son Rajendrasinh is an engineer. He is BE (Bachelor of Engineering) civil. He was having a feeling that we should join BJP," Rathva told reporters.

Asked if he had left Congress as the party did not give ticket to his son, Rathva said, "The Congress never said they will not give me a ticket (for my son). I decided before Congress said anything about it. I was impressed by the work done by the BJP government and PM Narendra Modi in our tribal areas. That is the reason why I have decided to join BJP," he added.

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