Gujarat Congress MLA Jawahar Chavda resigns; may join BJP

The opposition Congress in Gujarat suffered yet another setback on Friday when its key MLA Jawahar Chavda from Manavadar resigned. He is likely to join the BJP. He is the second Congress MLA to quit the party in two months. About a month ago, Unjha MLA Asha Patel had also resigned and joined the BJP.

The resignations come at a time when the Election Commission is set to announce the Lok Sabha elections anytime now. Hours after Chavda's resignation, another Congress MLA, Parshottam Saparia, resigned. Saparia, the MLA from Dhangadhra in Saurashtra, is likely to join the BJP on Saturday.

Chavda's exit has come as a shock for the Congress. A four-time MLA and son of senior Congress leader Pethlaji, party sources said Chavda never expressed any discontent. In fact, he was given key responsibilities ahead of the CWC meeting in Ahmedabad on March 12. His association with the Congress has been of more  than two decades.

The Congress was actually caught unawares about this development. Congress leader Shailesh Parmar said Chavda's resignation was a shock for the party. He alleged that the BJP was trying to lure Congress MLAs as it is not going to win 26 seats from Gujarat.

Though there were rumours of some party MLÀs quitting, it is said that Chavda's name did not figure in the list. Chavda resigned even as all eyes were on Aplesh Thakore, who was meeting national party leaders in New Delhi on Friday.

Thakore has been unhappy over a few issues. A senior Congress leader said he is also ambitious. There were rumours that he might join the BJP. Two days ago, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel had claimed that some discontented Congress leaders were likely to join the BJP.