NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, MAY 15
Hours after the Supreme Court stayed a Gujarat High Court order setting aside his 2017 Assembly poll victory, state minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked him not to resign.
Chudasama is currently minister for law and justice, legislative and parliamentary affairs, education, and some other departments in the Vijay Rupani government.
The Gujarat High Court had, on May 12, nullified Chudasama’s 2017 Assembly win on the ground of malpractice and manipulation.
However, on Friday, a Supreme Court bench of Justices MM Shantanagoudar and R Subhash Reddy stayed the HC order and issued the notice on Chudasama’s plea and sought response from his rival Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod, among others.
In a video message, Chudasama said, “I am feeling relieved after the Supreme Court order. Hence it is proved that truth can get frustrated, but can not be defeated. I thank everyone, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, state BJP president Jitu Vaghani for standing by me.”
” Central leadership also supported me. When I had offered to step down after the HC verdict, both Amitbhai (Amit Shah) and (PM) Modiji immediately rejected my offer. They told me that it is my right to approach the Supreme Court and a final decision can be taken only after its verdict,” said Chudasama.
Rupani too tweeted in Chudaama’s support later in the day and said the truth shall prevail.
Chudasama had defeated Ashwin Rathod from Dholka constituency by a margin of 327 votes in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls.
