Although there is some time before political parties announce the candidates for the forthcoming general elections, Gujarat deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel set the tone for what to expect in the coming months by saying that the Congress party will split ahead of the polls and the BJP welcomes those leaders who are willing to switch loyalties.

Speaking to the media, the senior BJP leader on Monday said that the Congress party is not behaving like one unit, but like various factions. “I believe the Congress will get split before the general election. It is for the party organisation to reach out to Alpesh Thakor. But personally I would welcome him into the fold,” Nitin Patel said when asked about the ‘disgruntlement’ among the Congress leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.