New Delhi: Marking the third high-profile exit from the Congress party within 2 days after Vijender Singh and Sanjay Nirupam, firebrand spokesperson Gourav Vallabh quit the grand old party. Gourav Vallabh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday, April 4, hours after resigning from the grand old Congress party, which he accused of being anti-Sanatan. 

Gourav Vallabh has been a staunch critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party, however, as he entered the saffron camp, he said that he was pained by Congress’ silence on anti-Sanatan stance taken by the leaders of INDI alliance. He also slammed the Congress leadership for declining the invitation to Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. 

Who is Gourav Vallabh? 

Gourav Vallabh, a professor at the Xavier School of Management (XLRI) in Jamshedpur and has made his poll debut from the same city. He had joined the Congress party in 2017 and was soon picked up by the high-command as the party’s media panelist. 

Vallabh contested from Jharkhand's Jamshedpur East in 2019 elections, where he bagged over 18,000 and ended up in third spot behind then-sitting chief minister Raghubar Das and Saryu Roy.

Gourav Vallabh also contested the Rajasthan assembly election from Udaipur constituency in 2023. However, the BJP candidate secured a comfortable win with a margin of over 32,000 votes.

When Gourav Vallabh Cornered Sambit Patra 

While Gourav was a constant face on Television debates, he gained limelight after he successfully concerned the BJP spokesperson on the issue of Indian economy during a live debate. 

Vallabh asked Patra if he knew how many zeros there are in 5 trillion. Patra did try at averting the question, but the video went viral and gained accolades for Vallabh. 

Why Gourav Vallabh Resigned From the Congress 

Gourav Vallab, in his resignation letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge which he shared on social media platform X, said that he was not feeling comfortable with the directionless way the party was moving.

Criticising the Congress on the issue of Ram Mandir, Vallabh said, "I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse wealth creators day in and day out. Therefore, I resign from all posts and primary membership of the party." 

Vallabh said that he always wanted the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and could not accept the Congress' decision to not go to the consecration ceremony.

At the joining ceremony in the BJP, he hit out at the Congress over its economic policies. He said it ridicules the policies of reforms, liberalisation and globalisation pursued by former prime minister Manmohan Singh because of its dislike for Modi whom its leaders abuse all day. "Congress leaders and allies raised questions on Sanatan Dharma but the party gave no response," he said.