Mahendra Singh Vaghela joins BJP, Could contest LS Polls

Mahendra Singh Vaghela, son of former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, joined the BJP today. He has been a Congress MLA twice. However, he left the Congress party in December last year before the Gujarat assembly elections. Then he did not contest the Assembly elections nor did he join any party. With the participation of Mahendra Singh Vaghela in BJP, the ruling party is expected to get stronger in the state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On July 3, senior leader Kunwarji Bawlia had left the Congress and joined the ruling BJP in the state. He was made an instant cabinet minister. Soon after joining BJP, Singh targeted Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He said that keeping in mind their style of functioning, it is not possible to revive the oldest party of the country in the near future. Singh was elected twice for two consecutive terms in 2007 and 2012 from North Gujarat’s Bid Assembly constituency.

This incident happened at a time when BJP President Amit Shah is on a visit to his home state– Gujarat. The BJP President arrived late on Friday and joined the Mangala Aarti in Lord Jagannath temple. On being asked if Shankar Singh Vaghela would also join BJP, he did not answer it directly and said that his father will make his own decision about his next move. Prior to the assembly elections in 2017, MLA Shankar Singh had revolted against the Congress. As a result, 13 MLAs left the Congress. Some of them later joined BJP and contested the Gujarat Polls. Although the BJP’s seats in the Gujarat assembly elections had diminished but got a clear majority.

State BJP president Jitu Waghani said, “Two-time legislator and son of former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shankar Singh Vaghela has joined BJP.” Mahendra Singh Vaghela’s son has joined BJP in August 2017 during the Rajya Sabha elections. Had voted against. Asked why he has joined BJP now, Singh said, “Because of the Gandhi’s style, the party will not be resurrected in Gujarat in the near future nor will it be anywhere else in the country.”