Arjun Modhwadia
{{Short description|Indian politician (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Arjun Modhwadia
|honorific-suffix =
|image = Arjun Modhwadia (cropped).jpg
|alt =
|caption =
|office = Member of the Legislative Assembly, Gujarat
|term_start = 8 December 2022
|term_end = Incumbent
|predecessor = Babubhai Bokhiria
|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 = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1957|2|17}}
|birth_place = Modhwada, Gujarat, India
|party = Bharatiya Janata Party{{cite news |title=Gujarat leaders join BJP a day after quitting Congress |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gujarat-leaders-join-bjp-a-day-after-quitting-congress-101709626137494.html |access-date=5 March 2024 |publisher=Hindustan Times}}
|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
|cabinet =
|committees = President of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC)
|portfolio =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|website = {{URL|www.arjunmodhwadia.in}}
|footnotes =
}}
Arjun Modhwadia is a former Indian National Congress politician from Porbandar Gujarat, India.{{cite web|title=Arjun Madhwadia-Journey |url=http://www.arjunmodhwadia.com/journey/ |work=www.arjunmodhwadia.com |publisher=Official website |access-date=28 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230230655/http://www.arjunmodhwadia.com/journey/ |archive-date=30 December 2012 }} 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),{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/arjun-modhwadia-appointed-new-state-cong-president/757137/0|title=Arjun Modhwadia appointed new state Cong president|work=The Indian Express|date=3 March 2011|access-date=17 January 2012}} the Gujarat wing of Indian National Congress from 2 March 2011 to 20 December 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_gujarat-congress-chief-did-arjun-modhwadia-pip-shankersinh-vaghela_1514936|title=Gujarat Congress chief: Did Arjun Modhwadia pip Shankersinh Vaghela?|work=Daily News and Analysis|date=3 March 2011|access-date=17 January 2012}}
In March 2024, he quit the Congress Party and joined the BJP.{{cite news |title=Gujarat leaders join BJP a day after quitting Congress |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gujarat-leaders-join-bjp-a-day-after-quitting-congress-101709626137494.html |access-date=5 March 2024 |publisher=Hindustan Times}}
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. He is married to Hiraben and has a son and a daughter.
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.
Political career
He joined Indian National Congress in 1997. 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.
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.{{cite news|last=Bureau|first=Zeenews|title=Arjun Modhwadia resigns as Gujarat Congress president|url=http://zeenews.india.com/state-election-2012/gujarat/arjun-modhwadia-resigns-as-gujarat-congress-president_817879.html|access-date=28 December 2012|newspaper=Zee news|date=20 December 2012}} He again lost in assembly election in 2017 against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Babu Bokhiria.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gujarat-assembly-election-2017-heavyweights-mlas-ministers-bite-the-dust-1789711|title=Gujarat Assembly Election 2017: Heavyweights, MLAs, Ministers Bite The Dust|work=NDTV|access-date=2017-12-23|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/elections/gujarat-assembly-elections-2017/gujarat-election-result-2017-live-updates-leads-bjp-congress-seats-won-lost-list-winners-narendra-modi-rahul-gandhi-hardik-patel-vijay-rupani-amit-shah/978092/|title=Highlights {{!}} Gujarat election result 2017: Final tally out, BJP bags 99 seats, Congress gets 77|date=2017-12-18|work=The Financial Express|access-date=2017-12-23|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/live-gujarat-assembly-election-results/article9995731.ece|title=Gujarat Elections results: BJP wins majority|last=Desk|first=BL Internet|date=2017-12-18|work=The Hindu Business Line|access-date=2017-12-23|language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |title=ગુજરાત વિધાનસભા ચૂંટણી પરિણામઃ કોંગ્રેસના સૂપડા સાફ, માંડ 17 સીટ જીતી, આપ પાર્ટીનો 5 બેઠક પર વિજય |url=https://gujarati.indianexpress.com/gujarat/gujarat-election-result-2022-congress-winner-only-17-seats-aap-party-gets-5-seat/28453/ |access-date=2022-12-08 |website=Indian Express Gujarati |language=gu-IN}}
=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.{{cite news |title=Ex-Gujarat Congress chief joins BJP day after quitting Congress |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/gujarat-mla-congress-leader-arjun-modhwadia-quits-congress-party-joins-bjp-2510798-2024-03-05 |access-date=10 March 2024 |publisher=India Today}}{{cite news |title=Ex-Gujarat Congress veteran Arjun Modhwadia quits, 'felt helpless' |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/gujarat-mla-congress-leader-arjun-modhwadia-leaves-party-2510423-2024-03-04 |access-date=10 March 2024 |publisher=India Today}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20111219171140/http://arjunmodhwadia.com:80/english/}}
{{Bharatiya Janata Party}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Modhwadia, Arjun}}
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Gujarat
Category:Leaders of the opposition in Gujarat
Category:People from Porbandar district
Category:Gujarat MLAs 2002–2007
Category:Gujarat MLAs 2007–2012
Category:Gujarat MLAs 2022–2027