Surat:

Senior Patidar leader and Congress candidate from Varachha road seat of Surat in the recently concluded Gujarat assembly election, Dhirubhai Gajera, who is deemed close to PAAS leader Hardik Patel today alleged that Congress lost in the polls owing to the attitude of its state president and former union minister Bharatsinh Solanki.

He also alleged that Solanki ensured defeat of many senior leaders included Arjun Modhwadia,Shaktisinh Gohil and Siddharth Patel.

Gajera who lost the election with a huge margin against Kishor Kanani of BJP despite campaign and camping by Hardik in the constituency which is one of the strongest Patidar hubs in the state, today alleged that Solanki was not interested in the victory of Congress.

He alleged that Solanki had shown a negligent attitude when he tried to arrange a get together in his area. Despite repeated reminders he did not give him time for the event in which hundreds of local traders and other such influential people were ready to participate.

Gajera, who had left BJP to join Congress, also claimed that the Hardik camp was angry at Solanki and wanted the high command to replace him as the state president. If he was not replaced then the PAAS group might rethink about its support to Congress.

DeshGujarat