Daman-Diu Cong president joins BJP

SURAT: Daman-Diu Congress Committee president Vishal Tandel and six other party functionaries belonging to the Union territory joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi yesterday.
The Congress is in a tight spot in Daman and Diu with many leaders there unhappy with the party leadership after the Lok Sabha elections last year, sources said.
Those who joined the BJP along with Tandel include Dhirubhai Dhodi, Satish Modasia, Jayanti Patel, Jatin Patel, Anil Tandel and Ramesh Soma Patel.
BJP MP from Daman, Lalu Patel, was active in convincing the Daman-Diu Congress president to join the party, sources said. Six years ago, the BJP snatched away the Daman Lok Sabha seat from the Congress.
Vishal Tandel told TOI over phone from New Delhi, "We have been Congress workers for years. The reason behind leaving the party Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma and his landslide victory in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Modi is a visionary. We must unite and work for the betterment of the people in Daman and Diu."
Tandel added, "Over 70 per cent of party workers in Daman and Diu would be joining the BJP in the next couple of days. We want a Congress-free Daman and Diu."