Arjun Modhwadia Explained

Arjun Modhwadia
Office:Member of the Legislative Assembly, Gujarat
Term Start:8 December 2022
Term End:4 March 2024
Predecessor:Babubhai Bokhiria
Successor:TBA
Constituency:Porbandar
Constituency1:Porbandar
Term Start1:December 2002
Term End1:December 2012
Predecessor1:Babubhai Bokhiria
Successor1:Babubhai Bokhiria
Office2:President, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee
Term Start2:March 2011
Term End2:March 2015
Predecessor2:Siddharth Patel
Successor2:Bharatsinh Solanki
Birth Date:1957 2, df=yes
Birth Place:Modhwada, Gujarat, India
Party:Bharatiya Janata Party[1]
Otherparty:Indian National Congress
Spouse:Hiraben
Children:2
Residence:Porbandar
Alma Mater:Lukhdhirji Engineering College, Morbi; Saurashtra University
Occupation:Former Leader of the Opposition (2004-2007)
Profession:Politician
Committees:President of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC)

Arjun Modhwadia is a former Indian National Congress politician from Porbandar Gujarat, India.[2] He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2007. He had been a president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC),[3] the Gujarat wing of Indian National Congress from 2 March 2011 to 20 December 2012.[4]

In March 2024, he quit the Congress Party and joined the BJP.[5]

Early life and career

Arjun Modhwadia was born in a Gujarati family at Modhwada, a village near Porbandar, on 17 February 1957. His schooling was at the government primary school of the village. He graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Lukhdhirji Engineering College in Morbi. He became a Senate member of Saurashtra University as a Registered Graduate constituency representative from 1982 to 2002. In 1988, he also joined the university's executive council. He was an assistant engineer with the Gujarat Maritime Board for ten years. He left his job in 1993 and entered politics.[2] He is married to Hiraben and has a son and a daughter.[2]

He has been associated with Maldevji Odedra Smarak Trust and Dr Viram Godhania Mahila Arts, Commerce, Home Science, and Computer Science College since 1988. He has been the president of Gramya Bharati High School, Bayavadar, since 2002 and a trustee of Sorath Kshay Nivaran Samiti, Keshod, an organization working for Tuberculosis patients, since 2004.[2]

Political career

He joined Indian National Congress in 1997.[2] In 2002, he contested assembly election and won. In 2002, he became a member of Delimitation Commission of India for Gujarat (Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies). He was also appointed a member of the Estimate Committee. He was the Leader of the Opposition of Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2007.[2]

He was re-elected in 2007 and from 2008 to 2009 he was also the chairman of the media committee and Chief Spokesperson of GPCC. On 2 March 2011, he was selected as the 27th president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee.

He also resigned from the post of president of GPCC on 20 December 2012 following defeat.[6] He again lost in assembly election in 2017 against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Babu Bokhiria.[7] [8] [9] He was elected from Porbandar constituency again in 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election as an INC candidate defeating his nearest rival and BJP candidate Babu Bokhiria.[10]

Bharatiya Janata Party

In March 2024, Modhwadia quit the Indian National Congress ending his 40 years of association with the party, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of BJP Gujarat State unit President C. R. Patil.[11] [12]

Notes and References

  1. News: Gujarat leaders join BJP a day after quitting Congress . 5 March 2024 . Hindustan Times.
  2. Web site: Arjun Madhwadia-Journey . www.arjunmodhwadia.com . Official website . 28 December 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121230230655/http://www.arjunmodhwadia.com/journey/ . 30 December 2012 .
  3. Web site: Arjun Modhwadia appointed new state Cong president. The Indian Express. 3 March 2011. 17 January 2012.
  4. Web site: Gujarat Congress chief: Did Arjun Modhwadia pip Shankersinh Vaghela?. Daily News and Analysis. 3 March 2011. 17 January 2012.
  5. News: Gujarat leaders join BJP a day after quitting Congress . 5 March 2024 . Hindustan Times.
  6. News: Bureau. Zeenews. Arjun Modhwadia resigns as Gujarat Congress president. 28 December 2012. Zee news. 20 December 2012.
  7. News: Gujarat Assembly Election 2017: Heavyweights, MLAs, Ministers Bite The Dust. NDTV. 2017-12-23. en.
  8. News: Highlights Gujarat election result 2017: Final tally out, BJP bags 99 seats, Congress gets 77. 2017-12-18. The Financial Express. 2017-12-23. en-US.
  9. News: Gujarat Elections results: BJP wins majority. Desk. BL Internet. 2017-12-18. The Hindu Business Line. 2017-12-23. en.
  10. Web site: ગુજરાત વિધાનસભા ચૂંટણી પરિણામઃ કોંગ્રેસના સૂપડા સાફ, માંડ 17 સીટ જીતી, આપ પાર્ટીનો 5 બેઠક પર વિજય . 2022-12-08 . Indian Express Gujarati . gu-IN.
  11. News: Ex-Gujarat Congress chief joins BJP day after quitting Congress . 10 March 2024 . India Today.
  12. News: Ex-Gujarat Congress veteran Arjun Modhwadia quits, 'felt helpless' . 10 March 2024 . India Today.