Vaghela quits Congress

The Congress in Gujarat has officially split, with senior political figure Shankarsinh Vaghela calling it quits from the party on Friday.

“I am freeing myself from the Congress and relieving Congress from any commitment towards me. I am going to resign as leader of the Opposition and send my resignation to Soniaji. I shall also resign as legislator after the completion of the Rajya Sabha elections on August 8,” Vaghela told a mammoth gathering of his supporters here, who had come to greet the veteran politician on his 77th birthday.

“The Congress had thrown me out of the party 24 hours ago. Vinaash kale viprit Buddhi (the brain works in reverse when destruction is near),” the former Gujarat chief minister told his supporters.

Vaghela even changed the profile status of his Twitter handle from leader of the Opposition to former chief minister before he began his speech.

Vaghela has been sulking and raising a dissident voice within and outside the Congress party for a long time now. The party had accordingly advised its legislators and leaders not to attend the event as the platform could be used to criticise the high command.

However, despite the party diktat, some legislators were seen at the venue. “My conscience tells me that I should go and I will go,” said MLA Raghavji Patel.

Vaghela lambasted both the Congress and BJP for inter-party conflict, saying he has been a victim of politics and conspiracy.

“I shall go to my high command, the people, and take a decision on the future course of action. I will be independent of all party politics,” he said.

Vaghela’s announcement to quit the party has further hampered the Congress’ prospects in the state Assembly elections, slated for the year-end.

“This is very unfortunate. The man whom the Congress gave so much respect to has no right to make such an announcement just four months ahead of the elections. He has committed a blunder. No one will forgive him, neither Gujarat nor any political party,” said Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat.

Baseless argument: Cong
The Congress on Friday rejected as a “baseless argument” rebel leader Vaghela’s claims that he was expelled from the party a day earlier, DHNS reports from New Delhi.

“Neither has the Congress party taken any disciplinary action against him nor has he been expelled from the party,” Randeep Surjewala, Congress chief spokesperson, told reporters soon after Vaghela claimed at a rally in Gandhinagar that he was expelled on Thursday.

Surjewala said Vaghela had been harbouring ambitions of becoming the Gujarat Congress president, a demand the leadership was unwilling to concede.

Vaghela’s meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah in late March had set tongues wagging in the Congress, making the leadership watch his moves carefully, but with scepticism.

Knowing the influence the former BJP leader wields in the state, the Congress was not keen to antagonise him.