Summary:
Ahmedabad, Aug 3(PTI) In a jolt to Congress ahead of Assembly elections in Gujarat, senior party leaders Naresh Raval and Raju Parmar on Wednesday announced that they will join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 17.
Parmar was earlier Congress"s Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, while Raval was a Minister of State for Home in the Congress government led by chief minister Chimanbhai Patel.
"I and Raju Parmar have decided to resign from Congress.
We will join BJP at a function on August 17.
Many of our supporters will also join the BJP on that day," Raval told reporters in Gandhinagar.
Parmar, a prominent Dalit leader in Gujarat Congress, confirmed that he will be leaving the party in the next two days.
He will speak at a joint press conference about future plans, he added.
Raval said he was leaving Congress due to several reasons including betrayal by colleagues.
"I had many bitter experiences in the party in the last ten years.
The party now lacks teamwork.
Leaders make decisions without any internal discussion and make others feel inferior.