Ahmedabad: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has chosen Paresh Dhanani as new leader of Congress Legislature Party in Gujarat Assembly, Gujarat Congress incharge Ashok Gehlot told media persons after meeting with party president Rahul Gandhi. Dhanani will become leader of opposition for the first time. Dhanani is MLA elected from district headquarters Amreli in Saurashtra region. Gehlot said the decision was taken by Congress president. He said Congress MLAs in a meeting in Ahmedabad had unanimously opined that the decision for candidate for the post of Leader of Opposition should be taken by party president Rahul Gandhi. Gehlot said, he and Jitendra Singh who were appointed as observers for selection for Leader of Opposition also held one-to-one meetings with MLAs to know their opinions. It’s worth noting that Dhanani is from politically strong Patel(Patidar) community. He is Leuva Patel, a section of Patidars that are mainly populated in Saurashtra. The names in race for the post were Mohansinh Rathwa, a 10-term tribal MLA who is the senior most in the house and also outgoing Leader of Opposition and Kunvarji Bavaliya who belongs to Koli caste. Apart from Bavaliya, another Congress MLA Vikram Madam too had spoken to media about their claims for the post. Madam had said he had support of over twenty MLAs for the post. Road to the post of Leader of Opposition was smoother for Dhanani due to his caste belonging, due to his younger age which goes well with Rahul Gandhi and also due to the fact that all senior Congress leaders including former leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil, Arjun Modhwadia and former State Congress president Siddharth Patel lost election this time while State party president Bharatsinh Solanki didn’t contest the poll. The post of Leader of opposition is equal to Cabinet minister in status.The Leader of opposition gets a bungalow in ministerial enclave in capital Gandhinagar. He also gets car, driver, personal assistant, office and other facilities from the government.

Dhanani express his gratitude to Sonia, Rahul

Surat: Newly selected leader of opposition in Gujarat and 3 times Congress MLA from Amreli Paresh Dhanani today expressed his gratitude to the party high command for his selection.

Dhanani who arrived here from New Delhi told newsmen at the airport that he was thankful to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the leaders of the party, newly elected MLAs of Gujarat and the people of Gujarat for his selection as the leader of opposition.

He reiterated that BJP had won the assembly elections with the money and muscle power.

Dhanani said that he would raise people’s issues in the assembly and continue his fight against the BJP government.

He said that he has arrived in Surat on a private trip.

– DeshGujarat