Two more Gujarat Congress MLAs resign

Two more Gujarat Congress MLAs quit the party on Friday, a day after three legislators resigned from the party and joined the BJP.

Chhanabhai Chaudhary, a legislator from the tribal Vansda constituency and Mansinh Chauhan from Balasinor, submitted their resignations to Speaker Ramanlal Vora.

Chaudhary and Chauhan are believed to be close to rebel leader and former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, who quit as Leader of Opposition on his birthday on July 21, alleging that there was an intra-party conspiracy to oust him from the Congress.

Balwantsinh Rajput, MLA from Siddhpur, Tejashree Patel from Viramgam, and Vijapur legislator P.I. Patel submitted their resignations on Thursday afternoon and joined the BJP.

Within minutes of joining the BJP, Rajput was named the party's third Rajya Sabha candidate besides national president Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

Shah, Irani and Rajput filed nominations for the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections on Friday.

For the Congress, party chief Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel on Wednesday filed papers seeking a fifth term in the Upper House.

--IANS

desai/rn