Cong leader Suresh Kotadia joins BJP; hails Modi as PM

Congress leader Suresh Kotadia, son of former Union minister late Manubhai Kotadia, today crossed over to BJP and slammed Congress for “ignoring” its party workers, and being “directionless”.

Gujarat is progressing well under the able leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and people of the country
also want to see him as the prime minister,” said Suresh Kotadia.

He joined the saffron party along with scores of his supporters at a function organised here in presence of a
number of BJP leaders.

Congress is directionless…It’s a party of leaders which ignores it’s own workers,” Suresh alleged.

BJP leaders Vijay Rupani, state minister Govindbhai Patel, Dilip Sanghani, Narhari Amin to name a few, welcomed
Kotadia to the party fold.

Amin, who played significant role to bring Suresh Kotadia in BJP camp, said, “Gujarat Congress leaders are being
ignored by the party’s high command in Delhi as a result of which they are unable to raise their voice in front of their Central leadership”.

Welcoming Kotadia to BJP, Rupani, the newly-appointed chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board said,
“Congress is becoming weaker each passing day as its workers are quitting the party. In coming days, a large number of
people, who are associated with various political parties in Gujarat would join BJP”.

When asked if Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) president Keshubhai Patel will return to BJP, Rupani replied, “the BJP
has kept its door open for everyone”.

Keshubhai, once the veteran BJP leader, had floated GPP ahead of state Assembly elections last year after falling
out with Modi.

Manubhai Kotadia had represented Amreli Lok Sabha constituency in 1989 as a Janta Dal nominee.

He was Union minister of state for water resources and industries in erstwhile V P Singh and Chandrashekhar
governments. He died in 2003.

———————PTI