Gandhinagar: Four MLAs who won assembly by-polls that were held along with Lok Sabha general elections on April 23, took oath today in Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi’s chamber in capital Gandhinagar in presence of State Chief Minister, State BJP chief and others.

Dr. Ashaben Patel (Unjha), Parshottam Sabariya (Dhrangadhra), Raghavjibhai Patel (Jamnagar Rural) and Jawahar Chavda(Manavadar) are the MLAs who took oath today.

Ashaben, Parshottambhai and Jawahar Chavda had resigned from the Congress party and also from the assembly to join BJP just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. They contested from their vacated seats. Raghavjibhai Patel, a former Congress MLA, had joined BJP in year 2017. He tasted defeat in assembly general elections in December 2017 as BJP candidate. He contested by-poll last month from Jamangar Rural seat which was vacated by another Congress MLA.

Of four MLAs who took oath today, Jawahar Chavda is cabinet minister.

With this, BJP has increased its number in 182-member assembly. However, soon another four MLAs of BJP are going to resign from the assembly as they are elected to Lok Sabha. More numbers in assembly would make the government more stable and also help in Rajya Sabha election. The nearest Rajya Sabha election will take place in Gujarat in months to come for two seats that are to be vacated by Amit Shah and Smriti Irani following their election to Lok Sabha. BJP will be able to win only one of these two seats with available numbers.

DeshGujarat