Gandhinagar: Gujarat Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya today took oath as BJP MLA here after his recent win in Jasdan assembly by-poll.

Assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi administered oath to the sixth time MLA in his chamber in the assembly here at 1239pm (Vijay Muhurt). Various leaders of BJP including senior ministers like Kaushik Patel, Bhupendra Chudasama, Vasanbhai Ahir were present on the occasion.

Bavaliya who had resigned from Congress and Jasdan seat in July this year (due to which the by-poll was necessitated ), had defeated Avsar Nakiya of Congress by a margin of over 19000 votes which was almost double the margin with which he had won the 2017 assembly poll as the then Congress candidate. The by-poll was held in December 20 and counting was done on December 23.

Bavaliya had earlier represented the Jasdan assembly seat five times in the past as Congress MLA.

He had left Congress alleging that the senior leaders were being ignored by the party. He was inducted in Vijay Rupani cabinet the same day on his joining BJP in July. He belongs to Koli community. Jasdan seat was considered a Congress bastion where BJP so far has won only twice.

Bavaliya had met PM Narendra Modi yesterday.

DeshGujarat