Cong battles exodus in Gujarat amid BJP drive before LS polls

Amid frenzy over Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya, Gujarat BJP has launched a state-wide drive to poach Congress workers, riding on disquiet over the Opposition party's decision to decline invitation for the January 22 ceremony.

State BJP on Tuesday also launched its campaign for this year's Lok Sabha election by initiating a wall painting drive across the state. Arjun Khatariya, Opposition leader of Rajkot district panchayat, on Tuesday joined BJP with about 1,000 supporters, including some Congress portfolio holders and party members of cooperatives, at Kamalam in Gandhinagar. Khatariya told the media that the party's stand on attending the inauguration was a trigger for his decision.

Several other senior leaders of the Opposition party are likely to join BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP and Congress sources told ET. Some MLAs are also queuing up to join BJP, they said.


Former Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president and Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhvadia posted on X: "Lord Ram is to be worshipped. This is a subject of citizen's faith and belief. Congress should have stayed away from taking such a political decision."

While GPCC president Shaktisinh Gohil, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and other leaders have been trying to justify the party's stance, citing that even the Shankaracharyas are reportedly not attending the event and alleging that BJP is rushing to inaugurate the "incomplete" temple for "electoral gains", some local Congress leaders admitted they are not able to check the exodus of party workers.