Gandhinagar: While leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela is trying his best to get declared as chief ministerial candidate of Congress party in upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, one group in Gujarat Congress believes that at this juncture party can increase its seats in Gujarat assembly polls only by adding huge number of Patidar votes and for that party should either project Patidar face as Chief Ministerial candidate or should do away with declaring any person as CM face at all.

Shankersinh Vaghela today speaking to media persons in Gandhinagar said if at all Patidar community has some expectations from Congress party and if party wants to respond to that, it can appoint someone from Patidar community to the post of leader of opposition.

Vaghela speaking to media persons today said, ‘Congress has two axes, one is party president and other is leader of opposition. Both are inducted to election committee barring some exceptions. Decisions on selection of candidate are taken in consultation with these two. If Patidar community has some expectations from party and if party wants to highlight the Patidar community, then there are two posts. One is the post of State party president. Now I am not the State party president. The other post is leader of opposition. If party wants to select someone from Patidar community for the post of leader of opposition, we have suitable Patidar MLAs who can be appointed there, and I am ready from my side to step down from the post and make a way. This is the proposal from my side. Any MLA whom Delhi thinks appropriate for the post of leader of opposition should be appointed. This process will take place in Delhi. It’s not in my hand. Parliamentary board would decide.’

It should be mentioned here that tenure of leader of opposition post will anyway virtually come to end in the month of October this year following the announcement of Gujarat assembly general elections by then.

On yesterday’s meeting at his bungalow in which a group of Congress MLAs was present, Shankersinh said, ‘Yesterday Gurudas Kamat was on way to Ambaji. He and Sagarbhai Raika met me over a cup of tea in Gandhinagar. Kamat wished to meet some Congress friends while returning from Ambaji. The reason was pressure on some Congress MLAs who are being lured by BJP to come to BJP fold. Our sitting MLAs were asking me about their fate as ticket allocation is not finalized yet. That was also the reason to meet Gurudas Kamat. I’m not sure there were 36 MLAs. There were friends. There was nothing like groupism in yesterday’s meeting which was held at my place. There was nothing negative in this meeting. Bharatsinh Solanki was in America. If he had come earlier, we could call him too.’

Vaghela once again spoke about his favorite subject which is early elections. He said, ‘lets wait and watch, BJP can dissolve the assembly on 1st May and invite elections in harsh summer’.

He said, ‘all we want to tell the people of Gujarat is, you please look at us and we will look at you and many good works that are not completed yet in Gujarat will be completed by us.’

It is not secret that Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela is showing desperation to grab the last chance to become Chief Minister of Gujarat as he is already 76. Shankersinh wants free-hand and position of Chief Ministerial face of Congress in upcoming Gujarat assembly elections likely to take place in December this year. Shankersinh yesterday took one step further and gathered MLAs in his support to convey a message to party high-command. Apart from Shankersinh, State party president Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed contender for Chief Ministerial candidate positioning. One group in Gujarat Congress believes that at this juncture party can increase its seats only by adding huge number of Patidar votes and for that party should either project Patidar face as Chief Ministerial candidate or should do away with declaring any person as CM face. Another issue with Shankersinh is that he belongs to RSS/BJP background and therefore doesn’t enjoy full trust of some key original Congressmen. When in BJP Shankersinh had rebelled against own party and took MLAs to Khajuraho. He had later formed own party, grabbed power and forced Keshubhai Patel to step down. After joining Congress, in 2009 Shankersinh was about to rejoin BJP as per his own admission in Indian Express interview. In 2011 he was about to join NCP for which he had also held talks with Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel. Shankersinh was later placated with Director’s post in National Tourism Corporation, the post which was matching to ministerial status in the Centre. State Congress had lost elections in the past when Shankersinh was State Congress president and campaign committee chairman. Shankersinh himself has lost elections through these years. Speculations are rife that if Shankersinh’s demand for free-hand in election and CM candidate positioning are not accepted by party, possibilities can not be denied that he or his MLA son or both may take surprise decision at appropriate time.

As Shankersinh told today media persons, ‘wait and watch’.

DeshGujarat