AHMEDABAD: Days after he announced his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, Jayrajsinh Parmar, a former state spokesperson of the party, said on Sunday that he will formally join the BJP on Tuesday.
Sources in the BJP said that Parmar’s crossing over is just the beginning of yet another round of defections from the Congress even as the assembly election is only a few months away. Over the past decade, the BJP has been systematically winning over Congress MLAs — especially prior to assembly, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha polls.
Insiders in the BJP said that the state leadership, including C R Paatil, is in touch with about 15 to 17 Congress leaders, some of whom are MLAs. Sources said that over the next few months, a number of influential Congress leaders will join the BJP, strengthening its chances of winning the December 2022 assembly election.
On Sunday, Parmar hinted that more defections are expected from the Congress ranks. “I will join the BJP at Kamalam on Tuesday, but even before that, on Monday, a couple of Congress leaders could quit the party,” Parmar said without naming any Congress leader.
The Congress’s tally in the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha currently stands at 65. It had won an impressive 77 seats in the 2017 assembly election, after which it has constantly been plagued by defections.
