“Bapu will wait till cabinet expansion, he’s not ready to allow Ahmed Patel making him another Madhavsinh Solanki”

So Ahmed Patel’s renomination for Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat is final.

Gujarat Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela was reportedly eying for this nomination.

Vaghela who holds no post in the party or in the government at present had met the most powerful Gujarati in New Delhi Shri Ahmed Patel some times back to discuss possibility of his nomination on Rajya Sabha seat. Sources told DeshGujarat that in this meeting Vaghela asked Ahmed Patel that to defeat Narendra Modi, the Congress party needs to have a united approach in Gujarat, and neglecting him doesn’t serve this purpose.

According to sources, Vaghela further told that he needed to hold some position to go in public to strengthen the party in Gujarat with an aim to recapture the state in year 2012 assembly election, and therefore Rajya Sabha nomination or induction in central ministry was justified.

“Vaghela also told Patel that he was not ready to become another Madhavsinh Solanki and was not ready to sit in a corner in neglected situation any further. He clarified that his neglection was not good for the party when united approach was needed,” a sources further told DeshGujarat narrating the details of Vaghela’s conversation with Patel.

According to sources close to Vaghela aka ‘Bapu’, if he continues to face neglect the options are open to initiate talks with either Bharatiya Janata Party or the Nationalist Congress Party.

However, though Ahmed Patel’s name has been finalized by Congress party for one Rajya Sabha seat in Gujarat, Vaghela bapu is not in mood to revolt at this time.

According to a source, bapu will wait till the Cabinet expansion. “It is understandable that Ahmedbhai is Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, and he would like to retain his seat, but then the party should ensure Bapu’s induction in central ministry in next expansion, and untill that Bapu will wait,” a source close to Vaghela told DeshGujarat.

“The problem with the Congress party is that the national President doesn’t listen to anyone else but Ahmed Patel when it comes to Gujarat. If Ahmedbhai has decided to push bapu in corner – like what he did to Madhavsinh Solanki earlier – and if central leadership is not ready to listen to bapu, then there’s no option but to leave the party,” a source from Vaghela’s camp further told DeshGujarat narrating the exact standing.

It should be mentioned that Vaghela was Textile minister in UPA-1. He lost Lok Sabha election in 2009 election. His supporters now blame a powerful Gujarati politician in Delhi for that defeat. Vaghela wished to become Gujarat Congress President when then President Siddharth Patel resigned from his post after defeat in civic election in the state. However not Vaghela but a loyalist of Ahmed Patel Shri Arjun Modhwadia was made Gujarat Congress President. When Arjun Modhwadia’s installation function was held in Ahmedabad, all Gujarat Congress leaders were present there, but Vaghela was absent and was touring outside the city.

On frontal face, Vaghela is considered as not-so-powerful leader in Gujarat’s mainstream politics presently. However he is surely capable to do a great job of spoiler, and can certainly harm important vote share of Congress party in parts of OBC/Kshatriya belt in 2012 assembly election. Congress could not afford this as the party is already in poor situation in Gujarat.

Vaghela is originally a BJP man. In late 90s he revolted against the BJP. He carved out a new political party and became Gujarat’s Chief Minister. Later Vaghela joined Congress and became its state unit President. Vaghela was comfortable in the party as central minister during UPA-1. His problems started when he lost last Lok Sabha election. For last two years, Vaghela is just resting in his huge house just outside the capital city of Gujarat.

According to sources, Vaghela was offered the post of Governor by Ahmed Patel few months back. Vaghela was furious in reaction, as Governorship is generally offered to those politicians whom the party wants to retire from mainstream politics. A source told DeshGujarat that Bapu answered Ahmed Patel that his house in Gandhinagar was better than Raj Bhavan and Patel should visit it to know that Bapu was needing no Raj Bhavan.

So next is what?

Wait and watch.