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‘Fed up’: Former Gujarat minister Jay Narayan Vyas quits BJP, keeps options open
The former Gujarat health minister has said that he will contest the upcoming state assembly elections from Siddhpur constituency
Veteran Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and four-time MLA, Jay Narayan Vyas has resigned from the party and has kept his options open to join the Congress or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
“I was fed up with the BJP and so have I resigned from the party. I have kept all my options open. I will contest the upcoming Gujarat elections from Siddhpur constituency,” Vyas, a former health minister, told HT on Saturday.
In his resignation letter, he has cited personal reasons for his decision to quit the party.
A Congress leader, who did not want to be named, said that Vyas has been in talks with senior party leaders about offering ticket to him to contest from Siddhpur.
He said that many surveys have shown that he still remains the most popular candidate for the Sidhpur seat. Vyas has contested seven times from here, winning four times. He could not retain the seat in 2017 and lost to the Congress’ siting MLA Chandaji Thakor.
In 2007, after being elected to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly by defeating the Congress’ Balvantsinh Rajput, he became the Cabinet minister in charge of health and family welfare in the chief minister Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government.
A functionary of the AAP, who did not want to be named, said discussions have taken place with Vyas and they were hopeful that he would join their party.
A water management expert, Vyas has in the past headed Sardar Sarovar Dam project as a chairman of the corporation responsible for its implementation.
