Radadiya quits as MP, Somabhai stays in Lok Sabha

While Congress MP from Surendranagar Somabhai Patel has chosen to retain his Lok Sabha seat and resigned as MLA from Limbdi seat which he won in the recently held Assembly polls, party MP from Porbandar Vitthal Radadiya, who won Dhoraji Assembly seat, has decided to resign as a Lok Sabha MP.

This has reduced the Congress strength in 182-member state Assembly to 59 as one of its MLAs, Savitaben Khant, who won from Morva Hadaf, had died on December 21, a day after being elected.

This has also necessitated by-election for Porbandar Lok Sabha seat and bypolls for Limbdi and Morva Hadaf Assembly seats in the Panchmahals district.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone, Radadiya said he had decided to retain his Assembly seat as he felt he could better serve the people by representing them in the state Assembly. He said he had sent his resignation letter to Lok Sabha Speaker on Thursday and also intimated the state party leaders.

Radadiya had courted a controversy in October last after he allegedly brandished a gun to threaten employees at a road toll plaza at Karjan in Vadodara district on NH-8 after they asked him to provide proofs of his being MP for toll tax exemption. A police case was later registered against him.

Somabhai Patel could not be contacted despite several efforts.

State Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi confirmed Patel had sent his resignation from his MLA seat to Gujarat Assembly speaker. "Patel has retained his Lok Sabha seat and quit as Limbdi MLA," Doshi said.

AICC general secretary and party's Gujarat in-charge Mohan Prakash, when asked if resignation of Radadiya would have any impact on party's position in Lok Sabha as UPA was having a very thin majority, said it would have no adverse impact as UPA was having adequate numbers to continue in power till the next general elections.

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