Gandhinagar: Manibhai Vaghela, former MLA of Vadgam in Banaskantha district of North Gujarat is all set to join BJP. He made this announcement after meeting with Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi in national capital New Delhi.

Vaghela was MLA of Congress from Vadgam and he was going to contest again from Vadgam in year 2017 general elections of State assembly. However one meeting between then novice left leaning activist Jignesh Mevani and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi changed the scenario. Rahul asked Jignesh to contest from Vadgam as an independent candidate and asked Congress party not to contest from the seat and support Mevani. This decision had not just shocked Manibhai, but other Schedule Caste leaders of Congress party too because Vadgam was considered winning seat for Congress due to good number of Muslim voters there who vote against BJP in mass, while Hindu voters remain divided.

Sulking with party’s decision Manibhai later decided to leave the party. He said, he had sought meeting with Rahul Gandhi for number of times, but there was no response. Now Manibhai has posted his photograph, meeting the Prime Minister on social media and made announcement that he will soon join BJP. When asked whether he would contest from Vadgam, he said he would do whatever BJP decides. He also reminded that he had defeated top BJP leader and former minister late Fakirbhai Vaghela on Vadgam seat in year 2007 general elections. Vaghela had been formerly a Taluka Panchayat member also in Vadgam. Meanwhile, first-time MLA Mevani has joined Congress. Living in Ahmedabad, Mevani nowadays frequently visit his constituency area as general elections of State assembly are going to be held in December this year. DeshGujarat