Shock to Congress before Gujarat elections, 3-time MLA Ashwani Kotwal joined BJP

Gandhinagar. Ahead of the assembly elections, leaders have started leaving the Gujarat Congress. Ashwani Kotwal, a three-time MLA from Congress, has now said goodbye to the Congress amid speculations of party working president Hardik Patel leaving the party. He has joined BJP by resigning from the state assembly. Kotwal is a tribal leader from Sabarkantha district and won the Khedbrahma seat of Sabarkantha district, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, on a Congress ticket during the 2007, 2012 and 2017 assembly elections. Talking to reporters, Kotwal claimed "injustice" prevailing in the Congress for his decision to quit the party. Significantly, the assembly elections in the state are to be held in December. After Kotwal's resignation, the Congress's members in the 182-member state assembly came down to 63, while the BJP has a majority with 111 members.

Resigned from the post of MLA

Gujarat BJP President CR Patil welcomed Kotwal on joining the BJP party during a function organized at the state BJP headquarters 'Kamalam' in Gandhinagar on Tuesday afternoon. The State Assembly Secretariat said in a statement that Kotwal resigned as MLA from Khedbrahma seat and his resignation was accepted by Speaker Nimaben Acharya on Tuesday morning. Before joining the BJP, Kotwal said that he has also resigned from the primary membership of the Congress. Kotwal said, I was not happy with the work of Congress. Instead of giving tickets to those who are popular with the masses, the party leadership favored only those who remained loyal to them.

There was a fear of not getting the ticket from the party.

Ashwin Kotwal said, I am afraid that the party may deny me ticket in future and to avoid such injustice, I am joining BJP now. Kotwal said, I firmly believe that development has taken place in the tribal areas of Gujarat under the leadership of the Prime Minister. He had invited me to join BJP in 2007 and said that he needs dedicated people like me who work for the upliftment of tribals. Though I did not join BJP in 2007, I have become a big fan of Narendra Modi since then.