RAJKOT: Bhagabhai Barad, a sitting Congress MLA from the Talala constituency in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat joined the governing BJP on Wednesday, a day ahead of the saffron party declaring its first list of candidates for the assembly polls.
Barad (63), who had won the Talala seat in 2017, sent his resignation letter to Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and also handed it over to Speaker Nimaben Acharya. Barad was welcomed into the BJP fold by state general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela at the party’s media centre in Ahmedabad.
The development comes a day after 10-time Congress MLA and tribal leader Mohansinh Rathva resigned and joined BJP.
“I am joining BJP as I want to be a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development campaign. I am joining that party without any precondition. I will fight polls if the party wants. I will campaign for other candidates if I am asked to. I will work for BJP to ensure its victory in nine seats in Gir Somnath and Junagadh districts,” Barad told reporters, adding that he decided to quit Congress after consulting at least 4,000 of his supporters.
BJP had lost all four seats of Gir Somnath district in the 2017 election. Barad had earlier won the Talala seat after the death of his brother Jashubhai Barad.
While he was a likely candidate from Talala or Veraval consistency, sources also say that the party may give Jashubhai’s son the ticket and not Barad. This, the sources added, could be done to avoid opposition within the party to giving ticket to a turncoat.
Barad (63), who had won the Talala seat in 2017, sent his resignation letter to Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and also handed it over to Speaker Nimaben Acharya. Barad was welcomed into the BJP fold by state general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela at the party’s media centre in Ahmedabad.
The development comes a day after 10-time Congress MLA and tribal leader Mohansinh Rathva resigned and joined BJP.
“I am joining BJP as I want to be a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development campaign. I am joining that party without any precondition. I will fight polls if the party wants. I will campaign for other candidates if I am asked to. I will work for BJP to ensure its victory in nine seats in Gir Somnath and Junagadh districts,” Barad told reporters, adding that he decided to quit Congress after consulting at least 4,000 of his supporters.
BJP had lost all four seats of Gir Somnath district in the 2017 election. Barad had earlier won the Talala seat after the death of his brother Jashubhai Barad.
While he was a likely candidate from Talala or Veraval consistency, sources also say that the party may give Jashubhai’s son the ticket and not Barad. This, the sources added, could be done to avoid opposition within the party to giving ticket to a turncoat.
