Mohansinh Rathva, a 10-time Congress MLA in the state of Gujarat, where the Congress has been trying unsuccessfully for more than 20 years to win power, has announced his resignation from the party less than one month before the assembly elections. It has been reported that Mr. Rathva, 78, would likely join the BJP tomorrow. A letter of resignation has been issued to Gujarat Congress leader Jagdish Thakor by the MLA who represents the Chhota Udaipur (Scheduled Tribes, or ST) seat.
In his stronghold, Mr. Rathva is well-liked by the local tribe. He formerly served as the district of Chhota Udaipur’s Pavi-Jetpur (ST) representative. He recently said that he will not run in the Gujarat election this time but would rather to see his son, Rajendrasinh Rathva, win the election from his seat. In response to the question of whether the BJP will provide his son a ticket to run in the election, the MLA replied he is ‘100%’ certain.
‘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,’ Mr Rathva told reporters at the BJP headquarters, news agency PTI reported. Mr. Rathva refuted the claim that he quit the Congress when his son was refused a ticket.
‘Never once did the Congress promise to deny me a ticket (for my son). I made my choice prior to any comments from Congress. The BJP-led administration’s and PM Narendra Modi’s efforts in our tribal areas pleased me. I’ve chosen to join BJP because of it ‘,he continued. According to PTI, Congressman Naran Rathva is also attempting to get his son a ticket from the same seat. On December 1 and 5, Gujarat will hold two rounds of voting, with results being announced on December 8.
Post Your Comments