New Delhi: In yet another jolt to the Congress in Gujarat, three of its MLAs including the Chief Whip in the Assembly, Balwantsinh Rajput resigned from the membership of the house and joined the ruling BJP. Apart from Rajput, Tejashree Patel and Prahalad Patel, also handed over their resignation to speaker Ramanlal Vora on Thursday. 

All the three the MLAs said that they were disappointed at the state of affairs in the Congress. This move may harm senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel's re-election to Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, BJP will file three candidates for three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat. Earlier, Party’s Parliamentary Board had announced the names party President Amit Shah and Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani as BJP candidates from Gujarat. But after three Congress MLAs joined BJP last evening, it was officially announced that BJP will field three candidates from Gujarat.

Congress Chief Whip in the State Assembly Balwant Sinh Rajput, who joined BJP, will be the party’s third candidate for Rajya Sabha.