With former Union Minister Bharatsinh Solanki taking charge as the president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) after Holi festival, a complete overhaul in the Gujarat Congress is being anticipated in view of the Assembly elections in 2017. Though the overhaul process would be lengthy as the State will go to polls after two years, said a well placed source in GPCC, adding that keeping the target of bringing the Congress back to power after almost two decades, especially when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is out of Gujarat, certainly the party needs strengthen its organisation down the line.
Party high command sent a clear signal by replacing Arjun Modhvadia with Solanki. like his illustrious father and four-time Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki, Bharatsinh is expected to work on social engineering to balance caste equations for various important GPCC posts. Madhavsinh successfully implemented KHAM — Kshtriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim — theory during his prolong political career in Gujarat. “Solanki’s experience as the GPCC president between 2006 to 2008 would be handy to rope in fresh blood in the party,” said a senior party leader.
If sources in the party are to believe, leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela may be elevated as the campaign committee chairman for the 2017 Assembly polls. “Despite dismal performance of the party in the 2012 Assembly elections, most of the Vaghela’s handpicked candidates emerged victorious. He is a grassroots-level leader and has capability to motivate party workers,” said a senior party leader, adding that in any case, Vaghela has very little to do in an Assembly which meets only couple of times in a year.
Already two important posts, GPCC president and leader of Opposition are with Kshtriya community, young leuva Patel MlA Paresh Dhanani, who is from Amreli in Saurashtra area may be given the post of the leader of Opposition. Dhanani is in his late thirties and he is also active in the House. Dhanani’s choice as the leader of Opposition would balance equation of caste as well as region, as Solanki and Vaghela are from Central Gujarat and North Gujarat, besides representatives of powerful Kshtriya community. Besides Patel, representation of Koli community in one of the important post is due, as the population of Kolis in Gujarat is around 20 per cent.
“There would be change of guards at district, tehsil levels in the Gujarat Congress to infuse energy in the party. If young leadership (Rahul Gandhi) is playing crucial role on national stage, it would definitely translate down the line that includes Gujarat too,” said a close aide of Solanki.