The Congress high command is learnt to have been seriously planning for a change of guard in its Gujarat unit. If sources in the Gujarat Congress Pradesh Committee (GPCC) have to be believed, the Union Minister of State for sanitation and drinking water, Bharatsinh Solanki seems to be the front runner for the post of new GPCC president.
Solanki, who had been GPCC president in the past is seen as young leader compared to other options and also belongs to OBC community. Besides, he is also the son of Madhavsinh Solanki, the Congress party’s longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat.
Talking to The Pioneer, a senior leader in Gujarat Congress requesting anonymity divulged that Solanki had a meeting with All India Congress Committee president (AICC) Sonia Gandhi as well as AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
“In the meeting Solanki was insisted to take charge as early as possible. However, he has bought some time to think over the offer. In fact, he was offered the post in mid 2013, but at that time he refused,” said a close aide of Solanki confirming possible change of leadership in the Gujarat Congress.
Sources in the State Congress also confirmed that Sonia as well as Rahul had convened one-on-one meetings with elected MlAs, MPs as well as office-bearers of GPCC of Gujarat on who can be the best possible candidate for the post before the upcoming elections, in which many of the them opined in favour of Solanki to replace incumbent GPCC president Arjun Modhvadia.
Under Modhvadia leadership, the Congress not only lost Assembly elections in December 2012, but Modhvadia himself lost with huge margin against current Agriculture Minister Babu Bokhiria from Porbander constituency. Even after Assembly elections, the Congress kept on losing in by-elections against the saffron party under Narendra Modi in Gujarat right from Panchayat elections to lok Sabha elections.
If that was not enough, as many as five MlAs have recently quit Congress to join BJP, which further reduced the Congress party’s strength in the Gujarat Assembly.
Two Koli community leaders and sitting MPs from Saurashtra region, Kunwarji Bavalia and Somabhai Patel are said to be sitting on the fence and may join BJP. Sources said that if it would work out, for NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Modi would be one step closer to achieve his target of winning all 26 lok Sabha seat from Gujarat.
There has been a common complaint within Gujarat Congress that, those who are loser (Modhvadia, Shaktisinh Gohil) and imported in the party (read Shankersinh Vaghela) are being designated on key post, while those who emerged victorious even during a BJP wave, are simply ignored.