Ahmedabad: Soon after Congress announced its first list of 77 candidates late in the evening, Hardik Patel led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti(PAAS) cadres upset with the list rushed to State Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki’s residence here. PAAS convener and close Hardik aide Dinesh Bambhania claimed Congress didn’t take PAAS into confidence before announcing the first list. Bambhania said Congress didn’t consult PAAS before announcing two of its conveners in the list of candidates. It should be mentioned that Congress has included PAAS conveners Jignesh Thummar(Junagadh) and Lalit Vasoya(Dhoraji) in its first list of candidates announced today.

Bambhania said Congress can’t include our conveners in its least before taking us into confidence. Another PAAS convener Alpesh Kathiria who is from Surat told media persons that Congress had given tickets to ‘lukhkha’ people in Patidar populated areas which was unacceptable. Kathiria was also with Bambhania at Bharatsinh Solanki’s Ahmedabad residence. Bambhania said Solani didn’t reply PAAS phone calls. Bambhania, Kathiria and others waited outside Bharatsinh Solanki’s residence for long but Solanki didn’t turn up. To avoid any violent situation, police teams also rushed to Solanki’s residence.

Bambhania later left the place and said, ‘we are now going to meet State Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi to ask him that State party president was missing.’ Doshi was at State party headquarters in Paldi area. As soon as PAAS announced to reach Gujarat Congress headquarters, the lights of headquarters were switched off and gates were closed fearing attack by PAAS.

Speaking to media persons Alpesh Kathiria said PAAS had asked to ransack Congress offices across the State. In response to this call, PAAS group rushed to Congress candidate Praful Togadia’s office in Surat and had hand to hand fight with Congress workers there. Another Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s residence was ransacked by unidentified persons believed to be from PAAS.

Meanwhile Bharatsinh Solanki told a Gujarati TV channel in brief telephone talk that, ‘ we are giving importance to PAAS conveners.’

Nearly dozen police vans were seen outside the residence of Solanki. Former city Mayor and party leader Himmatsingh Patel was seen outside Solanki’s residence. On the other hand a road leading to State party headquarters of Congress was blocked by police apprehending PAAS attack post midnight.

When Dinesh Bambhania and Alpesh Kathiria along with PAAS workers visited Bharatsinh Solanki’s residence again post midnight, police prevented them from entering Solanki’s bungalow compound. There was brief scuffle and argument between Bambhania and Police. Congress leader Himmatsinh Patel who was inside the bungalow compound of Solanki was seen instructing police not to allow anyone inside the bungalow.

DeshGujarat