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Following former Congress leader Ravi Raja's switch to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today, just ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad expressed disappointment, stating that the party had given Raja substantial support and that he should have remained loyal.
Gaikwad mentioned that Raja had been assured a role if the party came to power. Nevertheless, she extended her well wishes, saying, "Now that he is gone, I hope he stays happy wherever he is." Gaikwad also noted that Raja had attended a party meeting just two days prior, during which he reiterated his commitment to Congress. "We had a discussion with him two days ago; he even came to meet us with several leaders present. He promised he was with us and that he was a Congressman. But suddenly, yesterday, he made a different decision. The party has given him a lot, even though he didn't get a ticket this time. He should have stayed, as he was promised a role if we came to power. Now that he's gone, I hope he finds happiness," Gaikwad told ANI. Earlier today, Ravi Raja, newly appointed vice president of BJP Mumbai, expressed his discontent with Congress, criticising its ticket distribution process. Raja claimed that despite his 25 years of dedicated work in the Sion Koliwada constituency, another, relatively new, candidate received the ticket. "I have contested from the Sion Koliwada constituency five times, while the adjacent ward is Dharavi. Now, after 25 years, I didn't receive a ticket, but someone who joined just four months ago did. It clearly shows favouritism. It appears that only one family decides ticket allocations. This isn't just in Mumbai; it's all over Maharashtra," he told ANI. Raja further stated, "I believe tickets aren't given based on merit, which sometimes leads people to rebel." Raja, in a significant blow to the Congress in Mumbai, submitted his resignation letter today. The letter stated, "Since 1980, as a Youth Congress member, I have served the party with utmost sincerity and dedication. Today, I am led to believe that my 44 years of service to the Congress party are not valued, prompting my decision to resign from my party post." The Assembly elections for Maharashtra's 288 seats will be held in a single phase on November 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23. (ANI)
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