Congress MLA quits over Rajasthan ‘contract’
A Senior Congress Leader stated that Congress MLA Chirag Patel, who resigned from the Gujarat Congress on December 19, had an ongoing business contract in Rajasthan. Sources revealed that, in order to safeguard this contract following a governmental shift, he resigned from Congress. A leader alleged, “Chirag Patel, a former Congress MLA, secured lucrative tenders from the Irrigation and Water Supply Department over the years. After being denied a BJP assembly ticket for Khambhat, he negotiated an under-the-table deal with a Rajasthan-based Congress leader, obtaining a Congress ticket.”
Congress in a fix due to lack of coordination
A campaign to reduce Congress to a single-digit seat count in Gujarat before the Lok Sabha elections is underway. As part of this, one Congress MLA resigned on Tuesday, and the resignation of another was expected on Wednesday. However, the plan hit a snag when a Congress leader, initially willing to resign, cited illness at the last minute and became unreachable. This led to accusations of poor coordination against a senior BJP leader. Nevertheless, the same BJP leader assured, “The trend of Congress MLA resignations will continue in the coming days.”
CM meets Modi, Shah in Delhi for state unit rejig
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel traveled to New Delhi on Wednesday, after a cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar. Sources report that he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The discussion, lasting for more than two hours at Prime Minister’s residence and involving Chief Minister Patel, the Prime Minister, and the Home Minister, had an undisclosed agenda. Insiders speculate that a significant reshuffle in the state BJP organisation has been finalised, according to sources. Potentially, it shall be put up with names after the upcoming Uttrayan Festival, sources believe.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Our correspondent in Gujarat
dilipsingh@newindianexpress.com