Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary of Congress party’s national President yesterday skipped Gujarat Congress’s pol khol public meet in north Gujarat’s Patan. Also Shankersinh Vaghela was absent in this rally with his supporters.

The state Congress had projected Ahmed Patel as the main speaker in pol khol meeting. However Patel didn’t attend the meeting due to unavoidable circumstances in Delhi. Patel’s message was read in the meeting. Some sources claimed Ahmedabad Patel could be busy in Delhi because one Hindustani – a middle man in ‘cash for vote’ scam had recently named Ahmed Patel as one of the two main persons involved in the scam. While Hindustani is on police remand presently, and the other person named in this scam Amarsingh is likely to spill beans soon, Ahmed Patel could be busy with that affair in Delhi. Also there was a fresh development over A.Raja’s statement yesterday in Delhi.

As Ahmed Patel was absent, the state unit of the party projected central minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as the main speaker.

Deshmukh in his speech expressed surprise over BJP’s 17 years rule in Gujarat. Deshmukh said Gujarat is younger brother of Maharashtra, and if Maharashtra had non-Congress government only for for years in the history, why Gujarat should continue with BJP govt for the span as longer as 17 years. Deshmukh was of opinion that Congress party looses Gujarat due to infighting and not due to BJP. He said central government’ huge fund for rural development which is not spent properly by the state government. He said people never went away from Congress but those in Congress party have gone far from the people. Deshmukh asked Gujarat Congress prabhari Mohan Prakash to hire a big car and put all major Congress leaders of Gujarat in it. In lighter tone Deshmukh asked Mohan Prakash to go through the state in that car so that people can see that all Congress leaders are united.

Other orators including in-charge Mohan Prakash, local MP Jagdish Thakor, and MLA Siddharth Patel were too loud in their speech. They described state minister and local BJP MLA Anandiben Patel as Super Chief Minister of the state.

Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia spoke about Gujarat government’s land allotments to industries. He also criticized Gujarat government’s celebrations and tourism festivals.