Three Vadodara Congress leaders to join BJP on Sep 17

Apart from Prashant, another Congress leader Jayesh Patel also announced that he would join the BJP on September 17 along with his supporters. Suspended Congress leader Suresh Patel is the other person set to join the saffron party the same day.

Prashant, who has been associated with the Congress since his days as a student leader at MS University in Vadodara, said, “I had stopped going to Congress events for the last one year or so… But my conscience kept telling me that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for the betterment of the Hindu Rashtra, which is the identity of the country… I want to work for the Hindu community. The concept of Hindu Rashtra includes distributing equal benefits to all communities but it is taking the country on the path of Hinduism…”

In a letter addressed to GPCC President Shaktisinh Gohil, Prashant said he was “resigning from the post of primary member and all other designations of the Congress”.

He added that while all political parties work for “development” during their tenures, the Congress had failed to express its stand on the ‘Hindu Rashtra’. Interestingly, in 2021, Prashant had released a manifesto of the Congress ahead of the civic body polls proposing to create ‘dating destinations’ for youngsters in the city if the Congress was voted to power.

In 2019, he lost the Lok Sabha polls to sitting BJP MP Ranjan Bhatt. Prashant added that he was “not aspiring for the 2024 Lok Sabha ticket”.

On Thursday, Bhatt said she would welcome Prashant with open arms. “It is the reward of PM Modi’s tireless work towards development and progress that leaders from all opposition parties willingly cross over to work for the people… We certainly welcome people from other parties who have the urge to work towards the development of the country together… Prashant Patel is a dedicated leader and a straightforward person so we will welcome him with open arms,” said Bhatt.

Jayesh said that being a former BJP leader with roots in the RSS, he was waiting to return to his parent organisation. “I had joined the Congress in 2012 when they gave me an Assembly ticket. I even contested the polls but thereafter, I was never with the Congress. Now, I am returning to the BJP where I belonged,” Jayesh said.

Earlier, on September 3, during his visit to Vadodara, BJP state chief CR Paatil paid a visit to former veteran Congress leader Suresh Patel, who was suspended from the party in May for “indiscipline” as he had attended the inaugural function of the varg Shiksha of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that was organised from May 8-12 at his party plot in Vadodara. Paatil reportedly spent a few minutes at Suresh’s residence to “invite” him to join the BJP on September 17 — at an event to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday in Vadodara.

Suresh is said to have accepted the offer and will also join the BJP on September 17.