Former leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, who left the Congress on his 78th birthday on July 21, finally resigned as MlA on Wednesday evening.
The veteran politician handed over his resignation to Gujarat Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora in presence of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy CM Nitin Patel and senior Ministers Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Pradeepsinh Jadeja. The strong Kshtriya leader followed 13 other Congress legislators from his camp and his staunch supporters, who already tendered their resignations since July last week.
Talking to reporters he indicated that he would not join the ruling BJP or any other political outfit and will continue to do public service in his individual capacity. “I have made my stand clear. Neither am I joining any existing political party or any new party. I am definitely in politics but shall not be joining any political party,” he said adding that he doesn’t need anyone’s blessings other than that of people.
With Vaghela’s resignation, the Opposition Congress party’s strength has reduced from 57 to 43 in the Assembly. Known as ‘Bapu’ in the political circle of Gujarat, he made a huge dent in the Congress party through MlA from his camp and tried to execute a sort of ‘coup’ to ensure defeat of Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha polls, the political secretary of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. However Bapu failed by thinnest possible margin in the ‘mission’.
Vaghela has been claiming that Congress high-command was not heeding to his request and prepare for fight against BJP in the forthcoming Assembly polls slated for the end of this year. He had also said that he would quit as legislator post Rajya Sabha polls and after August 15. Terming Vaghela a senior politician CM Rupani remarked that he remained present with Vaghela to show courtesy.
Sources in BJP said that though Vaghela was unlikely to join the saffron party, his son Mahendrasinh might be given ticket in the upcoming assembly polls along with his supporters who voted against Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections.