Gandhinagar: Ahead of upcoming general elections of Lok Sabha, former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela today joined Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in presence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel at Hotel Ummed in Ahmedabad. Shankersinh was declared NCP’s general secretary. On this occasion, Sharad Pawar interacted with media persons in detail on this occasion. Shankersinh had worked in BJP and Congress in the past. He had also formed his own party and front Rashtriya Janata Party and Jan Vikalp Morcha in the past.

Detail report

Vaghela handed over the filled-up membership slip to Pawar on the occasion who in turn put the party scarf on his shoulders marking his formal entry in the party.

Pawar said that Vaghela would be made the national general secretary of the party.

He said that the long experience on Vaghela would be utilized by the NCP in uniting the non-BJP parties not only in Gujarat but across the country.

Pawar said that at this juncture it has not been decided whether Vaghela would contest election on not.

‘We were in touch with Vaghela ji for past some time and I am happy that a leader of his stature and experience has joined our party. I welcome him in the party,’ he said.

He also said that the NCP was playing a pro-active role in uniting the Non-BJP parties to dethrone the BJP government in next LS polls.

On the occasion Vaghela said that he had a meeting with Pawar in Mumbai some time ago and he had asked me to join NCP.

‘Now at a time when the BJP government at center was destroying all the institutions including CBI, ECI, CVC, Supreme Court, RBI and CAG, I thought that I must play my role in checking this throttling of democracy. I was CM, LoP, Union Minister and have got so much from the people now for as long as I am hale and hearty It is my turn to return to the public and that is why I want to do something for national interest. I want to save the country from BJP,’ he said.

Notably the NCP Gujarat president Jayant Boski had recently said that the veteran leader would contest the LS poll on NCP ticket for sure.

‘We are in to discussions with him about the selection of seat for him. Currently we are focusing on three seats Kheda, Panchmahal and Mahesana,’ he had said.

Notably, 78 year old Vaghela who had joined politics through Jan Sangha and continued in BJP had left it in 1996 to make his own party Rashtriya Janta Party during his revolt against the then BJP government of CM Keshubhai Patel to form his own government. He had later joined Congress and was also the union textile minister during UPA regime in 2004. He resigned from Congress too on July 21, 2017 on his 77 th birthday.

He had announced to quit active electoral politics but led a front called Jan Vikalp Morcha in the last assembly election in Gujarat in 2017.

DeshGujarat