Gujarat: Most Congress turncoats struggle for footing in BJP

GANDHINAGAR: With byelections for the eight assembly seats that were vacated by Congress turncoats scheduled to be held next month, the spotlight has shifted to whether the BJP will re-nominate the MLAs whose resignations helped the BJP ensure Rajya Sabha seats for all three of its nominees last month.
While there is considerable resentment among the BJP ranks on fielding the turncoats on the lotus symbol, the fact is that except for a handful of former Congress MLAs who succeeded in cementing their place in the BJP fold, the majority of Congress turncoats have struggled to gain acceptance in the BJP.

Since 2017, of the 29 Congress MLAs who quit the party to join the BJP or help its prospects, very few have got ministerial berths or have even got re-elected on BJP tickets. In the past three years, barring Kunvarji Bavaliya, Jawahar Chavda and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who got elected on a BJP ticket because of their personal clout, no other Congress turncoat MLAs have been given ministerial berths by the BJP.
Of the eight Congress MLAs who quit before the 2020 Rajya Sabha election, only five have been absorbed into the BJP so far, and political observers says the others may be left in the lurch.
A recognised Congress leader like Alpesh Thakor, who joined the BJP, also lost his byelection in 2019, as the local unit of the BJP did not approve of him getting the BJP ticket. Other Congress turncoat MLAs who were given BJP tickets in bypolls also met the same end. The BJP cadre has been making public statements, expressing displeasure at the idea of giving tickets to turncoat MLAs who join the party. It remains to be seen how the ruling party manages to contain resentment within its own workers ahead of the byelections.