Padmakar Valvi, a three-time MLA from Nandurbar in Maharashtra, announced his departure from the Congress party, citing dissatisfaction and a lack of coordination within the organization. Joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, Valvi praised the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting its efficient governance and widespread impact on the populace.
In an interview with ANI, Valvi justified his decision, stating, “The pace of work by the BJP and the planning made by the party from the state to the Centre (its benefits) reach to people. Its effect can be seen…We, the true workers of Congress, were upset for years. I was upset for a year.” Valvi expressed his disillusionment with the Congress party’s internal management, emphasizing the lack of coordination.
Valvi expressed his readiness to assume any role assigned by the BJP, emphasizing his admiration for the Modi government’s initiatives. His defection to the BJP coincides with the arrival of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Nandurbar, a tribal-dominated district where Valvi was a prominent figure within the Congress.
Ashok Chavan, a BJP leader, remarked on the trend of Congress members defecting to the BJP, asserting, “The people who are in Congress can’t see their future. Many people are ready to join the BJP.”
Addressing concerns over the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Valvi acknowledged potential obstacles from governments in Kerala and Karnataka.
Valvi’s switch to the BJP adds to the list of leaders departing from the Congress party ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ initiated by the Congress aims to cover 6,700 km across 15 states in preparation for the impending polls, anticipated to take place in April-May this year.