Former Gujarat BJP minister, ex-MLA join Congress

Former Gujarat BJP minister Bimal Shah joined the opposition Congress Monday, claiming the the saffron outfit has turned into a "power-oriented party".

Along with Shah, another BJP leader Anil Patel, a former Congress MLA who had crossed over to the ruling outfit after the 2007 polls, also joined the main opposition party.

The development comes just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and is being seen as a sort of boost for the Congress, which drew a blank in Gujarat in the 2014 general elections.

The two were inducted into the Congress at a function held at state Congress headquarters here in the presence of key party leaders such as Ahmed Patel and GPCC president Amit Chavda.

 

Shah was elected to the assembly from Kapadvanj in Kheda district in 1998 and again in 2002.

The 57-year-old had served as the Minister of State for Transport in 1998, when Keshubhai Patel was chief minister.

Shah, however, lost in the 2007 assembly polls. In the 2017 elections, he entered the arena as an Independent but suffered defeat.

Speculation is rife that he has joined the Congress with a hope to get ticket from the Kheda Lok Sabha seat as former MP and party veteran Dinsha Patel has already withdrawn his name from contention.

Addressing the media after joining the Congress, Shah alleged many dedicated workers like him were sidelined in the ruling party.

"I have dedicated my entire life to build the party in Gujarat. Many of us had joined the BJP because it was a mission-oriented party.

"But now, it has become merely a power-oriented party. I will work to ensure Congress victory in the Lok Sabha polls," said Shah.

Asked if he would seek ticket from the Kheda Lok Sabha seat, Shah evaded a direct reply and said he will follow party high command's order.

Dinsha Patel, who played a crucial role in bringing Shah into the Congress, said since he is not in the race, the former minister can seek ticket from Kheda.

"I am not going to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Shah can seek ticket if he wants. It is up to the party to decide," Dinsha Patel told PTI.

For Anil Patel, a BJP leader from south Gujarat, it was homecoming. He had won from the Bardoli assembly seat in 2002 as the Congress candidate.

The tribal leader had left the Congress after he was denied ticket from Bardoli in the 2007 assembly polls.

"It is my homecoming as I originally belong to Congress. Though I remained in BJP for over 8 years, I was not feeling comfortable there. That is why I came back to Congress," said Anil Patel.