Gandhinagar,  Senior Congress leader in Gujarat and former Leader of Opposition Mohansinh Rathva on Tuesday resigned from the party, and joined the BJP along with his two sons.

In his resignation letter addressed to the state Congress chief Jagdish Thakor, the senior tribal leader from central Gujarat and 10-time MLA gave no reason for quitting.

Party Working President Lalit Kagathra told media persons that the party has always given respect to the senior leader and, if after 50 years, it thinks of fielding some other candidate in his place or does not agree to the demand of nominating his son as his successor, is it the party's fault.

He said if the party nominated his son as candidate, the media would say that the Congress is promoting 'Parivarvad' (nepotism) at the cost of committed party workers.

Congress sources said Rathva resigned, because the party denied a move to field his son in his place. There are also murmurs in the party that a rift between Rathva leaders Rajya Sabha member Naran Rathva, Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathva, and Mohansinh Rathva over Chhotaudepur and Jetpur constituency led this situation.

Had some senior leader intervened at appropriate time, it could have resolved the issue, a source said.