Another Congress MLA in Gujarat resigns, to join BJP

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Press Trust of India Ahmedabad
Last Updated : Feb 20 2014 | 10:03 PM IST
In a setback to Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, another sitting MLA of the party in Gujarat has resigned to support BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Rajendrasinh Chavda, MLA from Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district, is the third Congress legislator to resign in the last few weeks.
"I want to see Narendrabhai as the Prime Minister of India. That was the only reason for my resignation. Today I have submitted my resignation to the Assembly Speaker Vajubhai Vala. I will officially join BJP in one or two days," Chavda told PTI.
"There is nothing in the Congress Party. I will move to BJP with at least 1,500 party workers," he added.
Chavda won from Himmatnagar constituency in 2012 by defeating former minister of home for state Prafull Patel.
His father Ranjitsinh Chavda was a minister in BJP government.
In December last year, the MLA was in news after hitting a pedestrian while driving a car in his constituency.
Yesterday, Somnath MLA Jasa Barad joined BJP. In the last week of January, Lathi MLA Bavku Undhad joined BJP.
With Chavda's resignation Congress's strength in the house is down to 54. The resignation will necessitate a by-election.
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First Published: Feb 20 2014 | 10:03 PM IST

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