AMN
A 10-time Congress MLA in Gujarat, Mohansinh Rathva has quit the party less than a month to go for the assembly election in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, where the Congress has been struggling to come to power for over two decades.
Rathva joined the Bharatiya Janata Party soon after his resignation from parent party.
Rathva is a ten-time Congress MLA and a prominent Adivasi leader. He currently represents the Chhota Udaipur constituency in central Gujarat.
“I was impressed by the work done by the BJP government and PM Narendra Modi in our tribal areas,” he said after switching sides. “That is the reason why I have decided to join BJP.”
The 78-year-old politician’s resignation came after he had announced that he will not seek a ticket for the coming Assembly elections but wanted the Congress to field his son from his seat instead, reported The Times of India. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Naran Rathva had also sought ticket for his son from the same seat.
Mr Rathva is popular with tribals in his stronghold. Before 2012, he represented Pavi-Jetpur (ST) constituency in Chhota Udaipur district.