Seven Congress MLAs quit in Gujarat

In a major setback to the Congress party, another Congress MLA, Ramsinh Parmar submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, two Congress MLAs in Gujarat had resigned. Furthermore, merely a day before, three Congress MLAs ⸺ Balwantsinh Rajput, Tejashree Patel, P I Patel resigned from the party on Thursday to join the BJP.

PI Patel said, "whatever I had done I never got recognition. I realised that BJP is the place to work for greater good."

Echoing a similar sentiment, Tejashree Patel said, "I have transcended them [parties] and only focused on public service of the Gujarati people. I see Narendra Modi also who has done great work and they are inspiring."

On July 21, after a prolonged discussion with the party, senior Congress leader and former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela formally left the Congress. On the same day, senior leader Ambika Soni, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and former I&B Minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA 2 tendered her resignation from the party posts she occupied.

Bihar Congress unhappy with Central leadership

Furthermore, sources tell Republic TV that 10 Congress MLAs are set to join the BJP-JDU in Bihar. As per sources, the MLAs blame the party vice president for inaction against Tejashwi Yadav and believe that Rahul Gandhi should not have supported RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Read | 'Forgive Tejashwi', Rahul tells Nitish': Sources

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is believed to have told Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to forgive the corruption charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav to 'protect the Mahagathbandhan'. However, sources added that CM Nitish Kumar told the Congress leader that there would be 'no compromise' and that the allegations against the Deputy Chief Minister were unacceptable. The Chief Minister also made it clear that he respected Congress president Sonia Gandhi's words and had come to Delhi out of respect for the leader's concern. He is believed to have said he cannot have a tainted individual as the Deputy Chief Minister of the State and it was against his 'way of politics'.