With Ashwin Kotwal, a senior MLA from Khedbrahma having quit and joined the BJP on Tuesday, the opposition party has lost as many as 16 legislators to the ruling BJP ever since the 2017 State Assembly elections.
The latest party position in the Gujarat Assembly ahead of its December elections as of now stands at BJP with 111 MLAs, Congress 63, Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani, two Bharatiya Tribal Party and one NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja.
For the first time since it came to power in Gujarat in 1995, the BJP was reduced to double double digit number of 99 MLAs, or just seven more than a simple majority in the House of 182 seats during the 2017 elections.
Over a period of time the Congress lost 16 MLAs, the last being Ashwin Kotwal, who resigned as an MLA and joined the BJP in the hope of landing a ticket in the 2022 polls. A three-time legislator from Khedbrahma since 2007, Kotwal told reporters that he always had high respect for Prime MinisterNarendra Modi but gave up the Congress party only now, fearing that the opposition party might deny him a ticket this time around.
With the resignation of Ashwin Kotwal, there are now 178 sitting MLAs in the assembly. The strength of the Congress has reduced to 63 MLAs. While the Indian Tribal Party, which fought as its ally, has separated from the Congress with its 2 MLAs and has allied with Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP.
Congress also supports Independent MLA Jignesh Mewani, whose joining the party is a shere formality. Thus, the number of MLAs supported by Congress is 82.
Apart from this, four assembly seats are vacant. They are Khedbrahma, Bhiloda, Unjha and Dwarka.
Dr. Anil Joshiyara, a former MLA, recently passed away. There are rumors about his son joining the BJP as well. In a similar situation, Dr. Asha Patel, Unjha’s MLA, also passed away.Pabubha Manek, Dwarka MLA, lost assembly membership due to the court’s decision.
List MLAs who left the Congress after 2017:
- 1 Kunwarji Bavalia – Jasdan
- 2 Jawahar Chawra – Manavadar
- 3 Alpesh Thakor – Radhanpur
- 4 Dhawalsinh Jala – Bayad
- 5 Purushottam Sabaria – Dhrangadhra
- 6 J V Kakaria – Stripes
- 7 Somabhai Ganda Patel – Limdi
- 8 Praveenbhai Maru – Gadda
- 9 Pradumansinh Jadeja – Abdasa
- 10 Mangal Gamit – Dangs
- 11 Bijesh Merja – Morbi
- 12 Jeetu Chaudhary – Kaprada
- 13 Akshay Patel – Karjan
- 14 Ashaben Patel – Unjha
- 15 Raghavji Patel – Jamnagar Rural
- 16 Ashwin Kotwal- Khedbrahma
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