New Delhi/Ahmedabad

Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki has been appointed a new president of Gujarat Congress.

It is believed that he has been selected for this post by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi who is going to become Congress president by April this year in AICC convention in Bengaluru.

Bharatsinh will replace Arjun Modhwadia. First test of Bharatsinh will be to ensure gain for party in local body and panchayat elections scheduled to take place in last quarter of this year. Congress is hopeful to gain ground in Gujarat post Narendra Modi’s departure to Delhi.

Present GPCC president Arjun Modhwadia had submitted his resignation after Congress’s defeat in Gujarat assembly general elections in December 2012. However his resignation was not accepted and party fought Lok Sabha elections also under his leadership.

Today the party president Smt Sonia Gandhi has accepted his resignation.

Bharatsinh Solanki who is going to replace Modhwadia has been Gujarat Congress president in past too. The party fought year 2007 Gujarat assembly elections under his leadership. Modhwadia was leader of opposition at that time. Congress party had under the leadership of Bharatsinh Solanki titled its assembly campaign as ‘chak de Gujarat’ and also had offered free color TV to poor if in power. Party however did not do well in assembly elections that year as usual.

Bharatsinh who is son of former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki enjoys good rapport with leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela. In one of his addresses in past, Shankersinh had openly favored for Bharatsinh to lead Gujarat Congress.

Bharatsinh started his political career as student leader and became MLA from Borsad in central Gujarat, his home town and strong-fort. He later became Gujarat Congress president. After party’s massive defeat under his leadership in year 2007 assembly elections, he shifted to parliament politics and fought Lok Sabha election. He became minister of state in centre. Initially he was given Railway portfolio, but later he was shifted to drinking water and sanitation ministry. He suffered defeat on Anand Lok Sabha seat last year when Congress couldn’t win even a single Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat.

PTI adds

Former Union Minister Bharatsinh Solanki was today made Gujarat Pradesh Congress President, replacing Arjun Modhwadia who had resigned after the party scored a duck in the state in Lok Sabha polls last year.

Solanki is the son of former Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki who had built the KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) coalition which had paid rich dividends to the party during his tenure.

The announcement was made by AICC General Secretary Gurudas Kamat who said the appointment has been done by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Bharatsinh has been brought into the scene as the Congress is setting its house in order in the state ruled by Narendra Modi for over a dozen years before becoming the prime minister last year.

Congress is out of power in Gujarat for more than two decades.

Bharatsinh had been the state Congress chief earlier too from 2006-2008.

On social media

My resignation as PCC president have been accepted.Thank you all for supporting all the time.

— Arjun Modhwadia (@arjunmodhwadia) March 1, 2015

Bharatsinh solanki have been appointed as new Gujarat Congress president.Congratulation and my best wishes for his new assignment,

— Arjun Modhwadia (@arjunmodhwadia) March 1, 2015

Update: Solanki will take charge of office of state party president after Holashtak(not auspicious period according to Jyotish.

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