New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today held a meeting with Gujarat Congress leaders Sukhram Rathwa and Jagdish Thakor along with Gujarat Congress incharge Raghu Sharma and party’s organization leader Mukul Vasnik to finalize the new leadership of party in Gujarat.

According to Raghu Sharma, the meetings are going on for last two days and a decision on new leadership of Gujarat Congress would be taken soon.

A day ago, speculations regarding Dipak Babariya’s name had emerged for the post of State party chief. However today after fresh rounds of meeting (and believed final rounds) with more Gujarat Congress leaders, Jagdish Thakor’s name has emerged as possible new Gujarat Congress president while Sukhram Rathwa as the new Leader of Opposition.

If Thakor and Rathwa become party president and leader of opposition respectively, the recent speculations that the party is going back to KHAM theory will prove right.

Thakor and former Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki had recently on more than one occasion publicly said that Gujarat should now get Chief Minister from deprived classes (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim), and BJP would not make such Chief Minister, only Congress would do it. In sammelans organized by Jagdish Thakor and Bharatsinh Solanki, a message was also sent that the last Chief Ministers from such section were given by Congress party only (Madhavsinh Solanki and Amarsinh Chaudhary). A section of Gujarat Congress leaders had conveyed party chief Rahul Gandhi that, as ruling BJP has made a Patel as Chief Minister, Congress should best try to consolidate and woo KHAM section, with Other Backward Class (OBC) and tribal as faces of the party.

It’s worth noting that Jagdish Thakor hails from Other Backward Class (OBC), while Sukhram Rathwa is tribal MLA from Pavi Jetpur seat of Central Gujarat.

The present Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda and leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani had offered their resignations way back before a year due to poor performance of party in State assembly by-polls. Then State Congress incharge Rajeev Satav had said in December 2020 that the decision on new leadership of State Congress would be taken by the end of December 2020. However later, it was said that the new leadership would be declared after the State assembly session. Later it was announced that the decision will be taken after local polls. However no decision was taken. A group of Gujarat Congress leaders had then visited party high command in Delhi and demanded a quick decision. Though the leaders returned with assurance, nothing much moved. Recently another group of Gujarat Congress leaders had met party leader Rahul Gandhi and demanded a decision on State party leadership. However nothing much happened even after that happened. Finally after Rahul Gandhi returned from foreign visit, he recently started deliberations regarding new leadership of Gujarat Congress. It is understood that final deliberations have concluded and announcement may come in day or two.

Gujarat is going to witness general elections of State assembly next year, possibly in December 2022 if on schedule. DeshGujarat