Former Gujarat Chief Minister and known detractor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,0 Suresh Mehta’s appearance in a top level meeting of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) at Gandhinagar Circuit House has created ripples in the State’s political circle.
Mehta was one of the founders of Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) along with anti-Modi axis of BJP leaders — former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, former Union Minister in the Vajpayee Government, late Kashiram Rana and former Minister of State for Home Gordhan Zadaphia. Unlike Zadaphia and Patel, the 68-year-old political leader neither joined the BJP again nor opted to take retirement from active politics.
Mehta remained present at the Congress party meeting on Friday which was attended by the leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, GPCC president Arjun Modhvadia, senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil and senior Congress MlAs to discuss strategy on upcoming Budget session in July.
Confirming the former CM’s presence, Modhvadia said that Sureshbhai not only attended the meeting but he also took lunch with us. “He is anti-BJP leader having in-depth knowledge of parliamentary proceedings. We invited him to guide our MlAs on the issues related to parliamentary procedure,” said GPCC president adding that in the past, even when he was actively involved with GPP, we used to consult him on particular issues. On the possibility of Mehta’s joining Congress, he said that as of now there is no such development.
Strategically, Mehta avoided media at the Circuit House and even was not available on cell-phone to comment on his presence at the Congress party meeting. Meanwhile, Vaghela asserted that he was called to put his expert view on upcoming budget session.