Three more Gujarat Congress MLAs resign

Gandhinagar, July 28: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suffered another blow as three more MLAs quit the party.

Veteran Congress legislator Ramsinh Parmar quit the Congress, after two MLAs -- Chhanabhai Chaudhary, MLA from Vansda constituency, and Mansinh Chauhan from Balasinor, submitted their resignations to Speaker Ramanlal Vora.

Parmar, from Thasra constituency and chairman of the prestigious Amul Dairy, said: "I will not join BJP, though."

C.K. Raolji, another MLA, who is known to be very close to rebel leader Shankersinh Vaghela, is also likely to resign, sources said.

The developments come a day after three legislators resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Another senior legislator Raghavji Patel on Friday said he was preparing to follow suit along with five others.

Patel, a legislator from Jamnagar (rural) constituency in Saurashtra, said: "I also want to go to the BJP and there are five others who are also preparing for it."

"We are frustrated. Nobody listened to our voice and took note of our aspirations," said the veteran leader.

Chaudhary and Chauhan have not joined the BJP, but sources said they might do so.

Patel, Chaudhary and Chauhan are all believed to be close to rebel leader Vaghela, who quit as Leader of Opposition on July 21, alleging that there was an intra-party conspiracy to oust him from the Congress.

On Thursday, three MLAs -- Balwantsinh Rajput, Congress Chief Whip and MLA from Siddhpur, Tejashree Patel from Viramgam, and Vijapur legislator P.I. Patel submitted their resignations and joined the BJP.

Within minutes of joining the BJP, Rajput was named the party's third Rajya Sabha candidate.

The defections spell trouble for Ahmed Patel, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, who has filed papers seeking a fifth Rajya Sabha term from Gujarat.