leader of Opposition and senior leader of Gujarat Congress Shankersinh Vaghela on Monday announced that he is not in the race for the Chief Ministerial candidate for his party in the upcoming Assembly polls.
“I don’t want to become Chief Minister. I am not in the race for the top post but want Congress to emerge as the largest party post the State Assembly polls,” said Vaghela during an important meeting of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).
Former Gujarat CM further said that since 2002 votes had been polarised in the State and in order to win the 2017 polls all the Congress leaders would have to work in unity.
In the past when Vaghela was in BJP and had started challenging then Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, he had given similar statement. Finally he along with 48 other BJP MlA created infamous Khajuraho episode and finally he became Gujarat CM with the support of Congress party.
The 76-year-old leader’s recent meeting with Nationalist Congress Party’s supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday in Ahmedabad has already created ripples in the political circles of Gujarat. He, however, termed the meeting with Pawar as ‘personal’. On his recent visit of Delhi, he said that it was not political but social.
Sources in GPCC said that Vaghela had withdrawn his name from CM’s race under the influence of high command. If the name of the chief ministerial candidate wouldn’t be declared in near future, it would be difficult to maintain unity in the party, said the sources.