Former Gujarat Congress lawmaker Asha Patel joins BJP

Gujarat lawmaker Asha Patel, who had quit Congress days ago, joined the ruling BJP today. Ms Patel and her supporters were inducted to the BJP at the party's ''Cluster Sammelan'' in North Gujarat's Patan.

Rubbishing reports that Ms Patel joined the BJP as part of a "deal", Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani said she quit the Congress due to in-fighting.

"We welcome Ashaben in our party. There is no question of any deal between her and the BJP. Our party never indulges in horse-trading. She has joined the BJP to serve the people in a better way," he said.

Ms Patel had been elected from Mehsana's Unjha seat in the 2017 Assembly polls. She had defeated BJP veteran Naran Patel.

Reacting to Ms Patel's decision to switch sides months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda said people will seek answers from her for disrespecting the mandate.

On Thursday, Ms Patel held a meeting with her supporters in Unjha. After the meeting, she had announced that her supporters and community leaders had asked her to join the ruling fold.

-PTI