Five new MLAs take oath, Parshottam Solanki only one left

Minister of state for fisheries Parshottam Solanki once again skipped taking the oath as the member of the Gujarat assembly on Tuesday. The oathtaking ceremony for the remaining six members was held in protem speaker’s office in Gandhinagar.

The remaining five members who had failed to take the oath on January 22 completed the formality.

The six members who could not take the oath were minister of state Parshottam Solanki and Vibhavari Dave, BJP MLA Jagdish Panchal, Congress MLAs Ashwin Kotwal, Mahesh Patel and Gyasuddin Sheikh.

Protem speaker Dr Nimaben Acharya said: “Solanki was not available due to social obligation. He was in Jamnagar today. He had informed the chief whip of the assembly about his inability to attend the oath taking. He can take the oath any day by February 19, when the assembly session starts. All other members have completed the formality today.”

Solanki was up in arms against Chief Minister Vijay Rupani after he was allocated a less important portfolio. He had demanded that he should be made cabinet-level minister and should get important portfolios. Solanki had also threatened the party leaders to create trouble for the party with the support of the Koli community if his demands were not met.