New Delhi/ Ahmedabad:

Toughening its stand against Shankersinh Vaghela, Congress today said that his act was like a ‘revolt’ against the party at a critical juncture.

It also officially revealed that Vaghela was adamant on removal of Bharatsinh Solanki as party president and replacing him in his place.

Party’s national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a statement issue in New Delhi said that Vaghela’s demand to replace incumbent state party president was not acceptable. He has himself chosen to quit and resign from all the posts and the party was pained at it but he should know that party was bigger than any individual. Even Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were on their posts to serve the party and the people and not for themselves.

In-charge of party in Gujarat and former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on the other hand told newsmen in Ahmedabad that what Vaghela has done was like a revolt with the party at a critical time when assembly election was just about five months away.

‘Congress had given him many important posts including union minister and leader of opposition and even when he lost election he was given made chairman of a corporation. But what he has done is not good. People of Gujarat will never forgive him. He had done so in the past with BJP also. Now no party including Congress and BJP would ever believe him,’ he said.

He also said that allegation about Vaghela working as BJP agent in Congress owing to the fear of CBI might have some truth. Gehlot said that Vaghela’s quitting would not have any adverse effect on party’s electoral prospects. ‘We will win the Gujarat assembly polls,’ he said.

Former Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia said that Vaghela has left at his own, the party had not ousted him.

DeshGujarat