After the triple bummer to Congress on Mar 4 where three Congress leaders stepped down from the party, all the turncoats have joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today at around 12 p.m.

In the presence of Gujarat BJP president CR Patil, ex-MLA Ambrish Der, Porbandar (former) MLA Arjun Modhwadia and Dharmesh Patel have joined BJP ahead of Lok Sabha 2024 elections.

Modhwadia and other ex-Congress leaders reached BJP regional office, Shri Kamalam in Gandhinagar at around 12 p.m. today. 

Apart from the three turncoats, Dwarka MLA Mulu Kandoriya also joined BJP after resigning from Congress.

The major jolt came ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Gujarat. 

Who are the turncoats?

Ambrish Der

A veteran Congress leader, he was an MLA from Rajula from 2017-22. At that time, he defeated BJP’s Hira Solanki. In the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, he was defeated by Solanki. Der was appointed as the working president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) in July 2022.

Arjun Modhwadia

Whose resignation gave gasps to many, another veteran and Congress stalwart leader Arjun Modhwadia was leader of Opposition from 2004 to 2007. He had been a president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) from 2011-2012.

Dharmesh Patel

Patel was the Congress candidate who contested state BJP chief CR Patil in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Navsari, which ended in a defeat for the former Congress leader.

Mulu Kandoriya

After serving in Congress for 25 years, Ahir Mulu Kandoriya resigned from Congress today and joined BJP with other leaders.

In 2022, Kandoriya contested Gujarat Assembly elections against Pabubha Manek in Dwarka constituency and was defeated.

Also Read:

Congress Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia steps down from all his posts

Former MLA Ambrish Der resigns from Congress, likely to join BJP