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Congress MLAs keen on joining us: Gujarat BJP

Manas Dasgupta

Outstanding dues in the State have increased
AICC secretary claims that Congress will secure two-thirds majority

GANDHINAGAR: The ruling BJP in Gujarat has claimed that a “large number” of sitting Congress members of the State Assembly were “keen” to join the party, apparently in a bid to counter dissidence within its own legislature party.

The claim was made by the State BJP spokesman, Vijay Rupani, after a meeting of the office-bearers of various panchayat bodies held on Thursday at Nabhai village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar to discuss the “achievements” of the party government in the State and the measures required to convey the message to the people in the rural areas. Chief Minister Narendra Modi, State BJP president Purshottam Rupala, and the national general secretary Om Prakash Mathur, in-charge of the Gujarat affairs, attended the meeting before they left for Delhi to attend the party MPs’ meeting with president Rajnath Singh.

Mr. Rupani said many Congress MLAs were “in touch” with the party and were keen to join the BJP. The party would take a decision on their entry soon and would not mind giving them a ticket to contest the coming elections if their image in their constituencies is good, he said.

While Mr. Rupani did not give any number of the Congress MLAs being keen to join the party, the BJP sources claimed that at least a dozen Congress MLAs were “in touch” with the party. The BJP apparently was upbeat after two sitting Congress MLAs from south Gujarat formally joined the party on Tuesday with a third one believed to be on way to the ruling party.

Refutes claim

The Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Arjun Modhvadia, promptly refuted the BJP claim and said the ruling party was trying to wage a psychological war because of the problems in its own courtyard. He maintained that other than the two who had already joined and Ms. Nimaben Acharya, all along being close to the BJP leadership, no other Congress MLA would join the BJP. “Our party is united and all attempts to lure away the Congress MLAs will fail,” Mr. Modhvadia said.

Mr Modhvadia also accused the Modi administration of non-performance and claimed that during its tenure, the State’s outstanding dues had increased from Rs. 48,000 crore to over Rs. 86,000 crore. In industrial investments, the State had slipped from the first spot to fourth in 2005-06 and to the tenth in the last fiscal year till January. The State’s rate of growth was below the national average of 9.2 per cent while the government showed special favours to five major industrial houses giving them tax relief to the tune of over Rs. 15,900 crores.

Mr Modhvadia said as against Mr. Modi’s claim of signing memoranda of understanding to ensure investments of over Rs. 12 lakh crore during the three “vibrant Gujarat” celebrations during his tenure alone, the union government documents proved Gujarat received proposals for investments of about four lakh crores since 1991, Mr. Modhvadia claimed.

Meanwhile, the All India Congress Committee secretary, Manish Tiwari, in-charge of the Gujarat affairs, claimed in Vadodara that the Congress would secure at least a two-thirds majority in the State Assembly.

He claimed that the voters in the State were totally disenchanted with the BJP and would support the Congress.

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