Jamshedpur: Just six hours after resigning from the Congress party, its national spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday. Vallabh, who was a professor at XLRI in Jamshedpur, joining the BJP comes as a significant blow to the Congress. Vinod Tawde, the BJP’s Bihar in-charge, facilitated his membership in the BJP. Vallabh, hailing from Rajasthan, joining the BJP amidst the Lok Sabha elections could have an impact on the Congress’s election management in Rajasthan. He is known for his expertise in economic matters and has been vocal against BJP’s economic policies.
Vallabh came into the spotlight during a media event held in Ranchi, where he engaged in a debate with BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, asking him how many zeros are there in a trillion. Instead of answering, Patra diverted the discussion to other topics. The video of this exchange went viral and is still being discussed in political circles. While announcing his resignation from the Congress in the morning, Vallabh stated that he cannot insult the wealthy. Speculations arose immediately that he might soon join the BJP.
After joining the BJP, Vallabh stated in an interaction with the media that there were two or three major issues which he mentioned in his resignation letter… I cannot insult the wealthy day and night. Earning wealth is not a crime. It should be noted that several leaders have been leaving the Congress and joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Vallabh’s social media post explaining his resignation from the Congress stated that the Congress party has become directionless today. In such an environment, I do not feel comfortable. He added that he cannot raise slogans against the traditionalists nor can he insult the country’s wealth creators day and night. Therefore, I am resigning from all positions and primary membership of the Congress party.
