Ex-BJP MLA, former Rajkot mayor join Congress in Gujarat

Former BJP MLA Shamji Chauhan and ex-mayor of Rajkot Ashok Dangar joined the Congress today, claiming "injustice" is being meted out to OBC communities under the BJP rule in Gujarat.

They were inducted into the Congress by state unit chief Amit Chavda and AICC in-charge of the Gujarat Congress Rajiv Satav at a function at party headquarters here.

Both hail from OBC communities. Chauhan belongs to the politically influential Koli community, while Dangar, who was the Rajkot mayor from 2000 and 2003 - when the Congress was ruling the civic body - hails from the Ahir community. Dangar later joined the BJP, from where he resigned today.

Chauhan was elected from the Chotila assembly seat in Surendrangar district in 2012 on a BJP ticket. He resigned from the BJP in November last year after being denied ticket from the same seat for the assembly polls held in December.

In 2016, he was appointed parliamentary secretary by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

On the other hand, it was a homecoming for Dangar, who had joined the BJP in 2012 after quitting the Congress. He resigned from the BJP today