Aam Aadmi Party MLA Bhupat Bhayani said on Sunday that he would listen to the opinion of the voters to decide whether he should join the Bharatiya Janata Party, reported NDTV.
Bhayani, who won from the Visvadar constituency of Junagadh district in the recently held Gujarat Assembly elections, said that although he has not joined the BJP yet, he is open to switching sides for those who voted for him.
On Thursday, the BJP stormed to power in Gujarat with a historic mandate by winning 156 out of 182 seats – the most ever by a party. The Congress won only 17 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party bagged five.
“I respect the results of the Gujarat elections and as an elected MLA I have certain duties towards the people of my constituency,” Bhayani told NDTV on Sunday. “If I do not have the connectivity with the elected government I will not be able to execute new policies for farmers and traders in my region.”
The legislator said that even though he has won the election on an AAP ticket, his voters will understand if he decides to join the BJP for the sake of development. Bhayani was earlier with the BJP.
“The public mandate in the Gujarat elections show that voters love [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi,” Bhayani told NDTV. “As a Gujarati I am proud of how Modi’s name has now become famous around the world, no matter which party I belong to.”
However, Bhayani clarified that he has not had any talks with the BJP on the subject.
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