In a setback to the Congress party ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Khambat MLA Chirag Patel submitted his resignation in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday, marking his departure from the party. The resignation was handed to Speaker Shankar Chaudhary in the presence of BJP state vice-president Bharat Boghara.
Patel, previously affiliated with the BJP and an active member of the Yuva Morcha (youth wing), had switched to the Congress before the state elections last year after being denied a ticket. While speculation mounts regarding a potential return to the BJP, Patel strongly criticised the Congress during his announcement on Tuesday, refraining from disclosing details about his future plans.
Expressing admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patel stated, “When (PM) Modi is taking stern actions in the interest of the country, Congress is habituated only to oppose. The scrapping of special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was a historic decision yet Congress leaders filed a PIL. Congress leaders step back on issues of nationalism and people’s interest. When the feelings of people of my constituency are with nationalism, I did not consider it appropriate to stay in that party anymore and I have tendered my resignation as an MLA,” Patel said. He also raised questions about Congress’s stance on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Following Patel’s resignation, the Congress’s representation in the Assembly has dropped from 17 to 16. Patel attributed this decline to a sense of discontent among many legislators within the party, placing blame on its leadership.
“Many fellow (Congress) MLAs are feeling suffocated and will perhaps bid adieu to Congress in coming days… A majority of (Congress) MLAs are unhappy with the way of functioning and factionalism is at its height. New faces and youngsters are not getting any encouragement in the party,” he said.
Remaining faithful in his commitment to serving his constituents, Patel said, “I will never betray the confidence put in me by my voters and will continue to serve them,” he said. Patel also referred to the results of the recently concluded elections in the five states and said the Congress was losing people’s confidence with time. The party has now become “zero” from being a “hero,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
Patel also highlighted the prevalence of groupism within the Congress, asserting that local party affairs are centrally operated from Delhi by the leadership similar to running a princely state from air-conditioned bungalows.
Chirag Patel secured victory as a legislator for the first time last year, winning the Khambat constituency in the Anand district by a margin of 3,711 votes. His triumph marked the first time Congress party secured the seat since 1990.