Congress MLA Harshad Ribadiya resigns ahead of Gujarat polls; likely to join BJP

Just ahead of Gujarat elections, Congress MLA and Patidar community leader Harshad Ribadiya resigned from the Assembly membership on Tuesday.

The opposition legislator submitted his resignation to Speaker Nimaben Acharya, who has accepted it, an official release from the state Assembly said.

“Member of Legislative Assembly from Visavadar in Junagadh district Harshad Ribadiya submitted his resignation to the Assembly Speaker late on Tuesday,” the release said.

“The Speaker accepted Ribadiya's resignation after she was convinced that he has resigned on his own and without any pressure,” it further said.

Ribadiya, a Patidar community leader, was elected from the predominantly Patel community seat in 2017 on a Congress ticket.

The 2017 Assembly elections were held in the backdrop of the Patidar quota agitation and members of the Patel community in the Saurashtra region had largely voted for the Congress to express their anger against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ribadiya, in the last four-and-a-half years, had been a vocal critic of the BJP government.

BJP sources said he is likely to join the ruling party soon.

Ribadiya was not available for comments.

Gujarat Assembly elections are scheduled to be held by the year-end.