Cong MLA Chirag Patel resigns from Gujarat assembly, slams party leadership's style of functioning

Patel blamed the working style of the Congress leadership for his decision and claimed that some more party MLAs may also resign if the situation does not improve.

Ahmedabad: Barely a week before an Aam Aadmi Party legislator resigned from Gujarat Assembly, opposition Congress also suffered a setback after one of its MLAs tendered his resignation on Tuesday. There are speculations of both the leaders joining the ruling BJP in coming days.

Chirag Patel, a first-time MLA who represented Khambhat Assembly seat in Anand district, resigned from the Assembly. He handed over his resignation letter to Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary in Gandhinagar. Later, Chaudhary later told reporters that he had accepted Patel's resignation.

Patel's departure has reduced Congress' strength in the 182-member assembly to 16. The party had suffered its worst defeat in December 2022, when the BJP juggernaut reduced it to a mere 17 seats on its way to winning a historic 156 seats. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP managed to win five seats.

Patel had defeated BJP MLA Mahesh Raval by a thin margin of about 3,700 votes in the assembly polls. Although he didn't divulge whether he would be joining BJP, Patel criticised Congress leadership and its working style. He said more MLAs would be resigning as the party is suffering from "groupism". Patel also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and construction of Ram temple.