Political realignment: Kanu Kalsariya meets Gujarat BJP chief, likely to rejoin party

Gandhinagar, March 7 Former BJP MLA Kanu Kalsariya, who previously switched to the Congress, will likely return to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Signalling a realignment, he met state BJP chief C.R. Patil and folk artist Mayabhai Ahir on Wednesday.

Kalsariya's political activism, particularly his leadership in an agitation against a proposed cement plant in the state, made him a well-known figure in Gujarat politics.

Kalsariya after leaving the BJP in 2012 following an electoral defeat, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls and even served as the state AAP chief for a period.

He contested the 2017 Assembly election as an independent candidate and lost.

Kalsariya joined the Congress in 2018 after a meeting with then-Congress President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. However, his tenure with Congress did not yield electoral success.

The Congress, already reeling from recent departures, has faced setbacks.

Congress MLA from Manavadar Arvind Ladani resigned from the Assembly and the party on Wednesday; while two days ago, former Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia joined the BJP.