Gandhinagar: In a major jolt to the main opposition Congress party, a senior leader and consistent winner CJ Chavda has resigned from the State legislative assembly. Chavda, a former Deputy Collector won assembly elections in the State in 2002, 2017 and 2022. He had lost assembly poll in 2007 and Lok Sabha election against Amit Shah in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Popular as CJ Chavda, his full name is Chaturji Jawanji Chavda.

With this, the Congress party’s strength in the State assembly has come down to 15. Chavda’s resignation would result in a by-poll on Vijapur assembly seat. Chavda is likely to contest this by-poll as ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) candidate. Polling for vacant assembly seats is likely to take place alongside the Lok Sabha general elections in the upcoming April/May. Last month, another Congress MLA Chirag Patel from Khambhat seat had also resigned from the State assembly and left the party. However there’s also speculation that BJP may field Chavda to contest the Lok Sabha election.

Chavda in his reaction after handing over resignation to State assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, said that he was upset with the party over the remarks by party leaders on Ram Mandir’s inauguration. Chavda said there’s a wave of happiness over Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir’s inauguration in the country. Chavda further said he had joined the Congress party when he was close to become an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Chavda said he would decide on his political future after the voters and supporters in Vijapur constituency. DeshGujarat