Gandhinagar: Opposition Congress party Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ashwin Kotwal is likely to join ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The MLA remained absent at the tribal protest yesterday organized by Congress party in Gandhinagar. The MLA also remains absent most of the days during the ongoing budget session of State assembly. Kotwal had also skipped a dinner hosted by party leader Bharatsinh Solanki. When a media person asked him about reports of his move to join BJP, Kotwal neither denied nor endorsed it.

Kotwal had been the Chief Whip of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP). He was later removed from this post and replaced with another party MLA. He was hoping to become the leader of opposition. In February this year, Congress party had rejigged its legislator party office bearers team in which Kotwal was declared as one among six spokespersons of CLP. Kotwal however has remained absent from this job. Kotwal’s son Yash is president of Vijaynagar taluka panchayat.

Now speculations are rife that Kotval, a three-time MLA of Congress party from Khedbrahma seat in Sabarkantha district of North Gujarat which is reserved for Schedule Tribes (ST) will join ruling BJP, possibly in the presence of State BJP chief CR Patil in the first week of April in the district headquarters Himmatnagar.

Kotwal was unavailable for comment. Gujarat is going to witness general elections of State assembly in December this year. DeshGujarat