Mohansinh Rathva, a senior Congress MLA from Gujarat, on Tuesday resigned as a party member and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party weeks before Assembly polls in the state, reported PTI.
Rathva is a ten-time Congress MLA and a prominent Adivasi leader. He currently represents the Chhota Udaipur constituency in central Gujarat.
“I was impressed by the work done by the BJP government and PM Narendra Modi in our tribal areas,” he said after switching sides. “That is the reason why I have decided to join BJP.”
The 78-year-old politician’s resignation came after he had announced that he will not seek a ticket for the coming Assembly elections but wanted the Congress to field his son from his seat instead, reported The Times of India. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Naran Rathva had also sought ticket for his son from the same seat.
The Assembly polls in Gujarat will held be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5. The results will be declared on December 8 along with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
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