Ahmedabad:

In a veiled warning to PAAS leader Hardik Patel to not to ‘interfere’ in Congress affairs, Gujarat in-charge of the party and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot today said that the leader of opposition would be decided by the MLAs and the high command and not under someone’s pressure or threat.

Gehlot under whose supervision the meeting of newly elected 77 MLAs of the party was held here told newsmen that he has not himself heard the comments of Hardik Patel (who had in Surat today reportedly said that he wanted a youth to be the leader of opposition and preferred Patidar MLA Paresh Dhanani).

‘As I have not heard what Hardik had said so I can’t make a direct comment about that but so far as the selection of the leader of opposition is concerned it would be done as per the party procedure. Be it Paresh Dhanani or Kuwarji Babaria whoever is selected would be selected as per the party procedure and not under any pressure or suggestion,’ he said.

‘No body should have the illusion that Congress would take decisions under pressure. Whoever is selected as the leader of the legislature party would be named by the party high command as desired by the MLAs unanimously and not under anybody’s pressure,’ he said.

Gehlot said that on the very first day all the newly elected 77 MLAs had passed a proposal authorizing the party high command to take a call on the leader of opposition but as per the wish of party president Rahul Gandhi he and former union minister Jitendra Singh had taken opinion of the MLAs and now a report would be handed over to him to take a final call and officially decide the name.

DeshGujarat