Gujarat MLA Chirag Patel quits Congress, blames leadership

In a setback to the Congress party ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Khambat MLA Chirag Patel submitted his resignation in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday, marking his departure from the party.

The resignation was handed to Speaker Shankar Chaudhary in the presence of BJP state vice-president Bharat Boghara.

Patel, previously affiliated with the BJP and an active member of the Yuva Morcha (youth wing), had switched to the Congress before the state elections last year after being denied a ticket.

While speculation mounts regarding a potential return to the BJP, Patel strongly criticised the Congress during his announcement on Tuesday, refraining from disclosing details about his future plans.

Following Patel’s resignation, the Congress’s representation in the Assembly has dropped from 17 to 16. Patel attributed this decline to a sense of discontent among many legislators within the party, placing blame on its leadership.

Patel also highlighted the prevalence of groupism within the Congress, asserting that local party affairs are centrally operated from Delhi by the leadership similar to running a princely state from air-conditioned bungalows.

Chirag Patel secured victory as a legislator for the first time last year, winning the Khambat constituency in the Anand district by a margin of 3,711 votes. His triumph marked the first time Congress party secured the seat since 1990.