Five BJP Turncoats Take Oath in Gujarat Assembly After Bypoll Victory

Five MLAs from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including four former Congress members, took oath in Gandhinagar after winning recent bypolls in Gujarat. With their induction, BJP's strength in the assembly has risen to 161 seats. The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary.

In a significant political development, five newly-elected MLAs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were sworn into office in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. This includes four former Congress legislators who switched allegiance. The oath was administrated by assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, as confirmed by an official release.

The BJP's dominance in Gujarat's assembly has now increased to 161 seats from the previous 156, further cementing its stronghold. The recent bypoll victories saw MLAs Arjun Modhwadia, CJ Chavda, Arvind Ladani, Chiragkumar Patel, and Dharmendrasinh Vaghela taking their oaths. Notably, Vaghela was an independent MLA from Vaghodia before joining the BJP.

The four ex-Congress MLAs resigned from their positions between December 2023 and March 2024 and subsequently joined the BJP, prompting by-elections in the Porbandar, Vijapur, Manavadar, and Khambhat constituencies. Their landslide victories against Congress rivals in the bypolls have further solidified the BJP's political stature in the state.