Gandhinagar, Oct 6 (IANS): Former Congress MLA from Visavadar constituency of Gujarat's Junagadh district Harshad Ribadiya on Thursday joined the BJP in presence of party general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela.

Ribadiya refuted allegations that he joined the BJP as he was offered Rs 40 crores.

Gujarat Congress working president Ambarish Der has alleged that in one conversation with Ribadiya, the latter had told him that the BJP has offered him Rs 40 crore.

Ribadiya, while refuting the allegations made by Der, claimed that during 2017 Rajya Sabha elections, when party stalwart Ahmed Patel was contesting election, two Congress leaders had approached him and offered him Rs 40 crore in lieu of resigning as MLA. He alleged that the two leaders wanted that the party's MLAs strength comes down, and Patel lose the election.

The former Congress MLA said that the Congress party "lacks policy, vision and leadership that is why workers are quitting the party".

Along with Ribadiya, several of his supporters also joined the saffron party on the day.