Gandhinagar: Son of Shankersinh Vaghela and MLA from Bayad Mahendrasinh Vaghela today said a group of MLAs, including those who resigned from Congress and those who were suspended by the party yesterday will join BJP.

Mahendrasinh said a meeting in this regard was held with BJP national president Amit Shah and state president Jitubhai Vaghani.

However one of the MLAs Shankersinh Vaghela has made it clear that he is not going to join any political party.

Mahendrasinh said MLAs who are suspended are thankful to Congress for doing so.

With suspension/resignation of 14 MLAs, Congress strength in assembly has come down from 57 to 43. In 2012 assembly polls, Congress had won 61 assembly seats. Compared to that Congress is down from 61 to 43 at present when fresh general election is about four months away.

6 Congress MLAs had resigned from the party ahead of Rajya Sabha election. Two of them Balwantsinh Rajput and Tejshreeben Patel both locally powerful in their constituencies joined BJP.

8 other Congress MLAs voted for BJP candidates in Rajya Sabha polls. They were declared suspended yesterday.

This is big loss for Congress party as most of the MLAs who are all set to join BJP are locally powerful and some of them influence more than one seats.

DeshGujarat