Ahead of upcoming civic elections in Gujarat, former Dediyapada MLA Mahesh Vasava has joined the Congress party.
His induction took place at the culmination of the Congress’ Jan Akrosh Yatra in Dahod, in the presence of senior party leaders on Tuesday.
Vasava, the son of Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) founder and veteran tribal leader Chhotubhai Vasava, has had a chequered political journey over the past few years.
After exiting the BTP, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, within nine months, he severed ties with the BJP, publicly discarding the party’s saffron scarf and expressing dissatisfaction with its functioning.
By aligning himself with the Congress, Vasava has re-entered active politics at a time when tribal regions in Gujarat are witnessing heightened political churn.
Addressing party workers after joining, Vasava launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, accusing it of pursuing policies that have harmed common people, especially tribal communities, over the last three decades.
He said unresolved issues related to land ownership, forest rights and access to water have continued to trouble tribals, and asserted that the moment had arrived for a united struggle against what he termed systemic injustice.
Political analysts view Vasava’s move as a setback for the BJP in tribal-dominated belts, where opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, are steadily expanding their footprint. There is also speculation that Vasava could be fielded by the Congress from the Jhagdiya assembly constituency, a seat considered crucial in the region.
Earlier, while resigning from the BJP, Vasava had written to Gujarat BJP president C.R. Patil, stating that his decision was driven by ideological differences and lack of recognition within the party. In his resignation letter, he had also called for unity among tribals, Dalits, OBCs and minority communities to challenge what he described as the BJP-RSS ideology.
While BJP leaders dismissed his exit as a result of unfulfilled personal ambitions, Congress leaders welcomed Vasava, saying his decision reflected growing discontent among tribal leaders with the ruling party.
With Vasava’s entry, the Congress is expected to gain momentum in Gujarat’s tribal heartland, potentially reshaping electoral equations in the run-up to the assembly polls.
Also Read: Tribal Leader Mahesh Vasava Quits The BJP https://www.vibesofindia.com/tribal-leader-mahesh-vasava-quits-the-bjp/
