With no less than seven Congress MLAs in attendance, former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and ex-state president Arjun Modhwadia on Thursday addressed a joint rally right here, straight after attending a courtroom listening to on the alleged Dudhsagar Dairy rip-off.
Extending assist to Vipul Chaudhary, the previous Dudhsagar Dairy chairman held on fees of alleged monetary irregularities to the tune of Rs 800 crore on the dairy, the 2 urged the influential Anjana Chaudhary group to assist oust the BJP from energy within the coming Meeting elections.
Greater than the assist to Chaudhary, a BJP chief, Thursday’s ‘Sakshi Hunkar Rally’ held significance for all of the indicators that Vaghela could also be on his approach again to the depleted Congress within the state. The veteran Gujarat politician who has labored throughout all the large events within the state will probably be a lift for the Congress at a time when it has seen a string of exits from its ranks.
Requested about this, Vaghela advised mediapersons: “Talks are on and, as soon as the formalities are completed, an announcement will probably be made at an applicable time.” Ruling out any chance of rejoining the BJP, he mentioned: “I’ve nothing to realize from the Congress, I intend to provide to the celebration.”
Modhwadia mentioned earlier that the best way again to the Congress for Vaghela is “open”.
Aside from the optics of his return, Vaghela would fill a vital emptiness within the Congress which is lacking the presence of a strategist just like the late Ahmed Patel. The celebration’s silence each on Vaghela’s indication that he was not averse to a return, and to Modhwadia’s provide, exhibits that the bottom could also be prepared for this.
Vaghela and Modhwadia held the rally after showing in courtroom as “witnesses” within the case involving Chaudhary, at a floor situated adjoining to Dudhsagar Dairy.
Referring to Vaghela by his reverential moniker of ‘Bapu’, Modhwadia questioned the case towards Chaudhary, who left the Congress to affix the BJP in 2007. Stating that the latter was appointed by the UPA authorities on the Centre regardless of him being a BJP chief, Modhwadia mentioned they picked Chaudhary as a result of they believed he may assist develop the community of Amul throughout the nation. “Vipulbhai didn’t come to us (for the job), nor did anybody else,” he mentioned.
Modhwadia mentioned Chaudhary had run foul of the BJP as he had not sought the mandate of the celebration for combating the milk cooperatives polls. “Let’s not focus on which celebration he belongs to. It’s a struggle of self-respect that we now have to struggle collectively,” he mentioned.
A realignment of Chaudhary group votes in North Gujarat in direction of the Congress may help the celebration’s fortunes considerably.
The seven Congress MLAs current at Thursday’s rally had been C J Chavda (MLA from Gandhinagar North), Baldevsinh Thakor (Kalol), Raghu Desai (Chanasma), Nathabhai Chaudhary (Dhanera), Bharat Thakor (Becharaji), Govabhai Rabari (Deesa) and Chandanji Thakor (Sidhpur).
Vaghela spoke about how Chaudhary was a house minister in his authorities in 1996. “The approaching days are testing instances for Gujarat. Do you wish to get out of worry, slavery, corruption and inflation?” he mentioned, asking individuals to vote rigorously.
Chavda, who spoke on the event, heaped praises on Vaghela, who by the way left the Congress in shock final time when he give up simply days earlier than the Rajya Sabha polls of 2017. The Chief of Opposition on the time, Vaghela’s resignation had been adopted by that of greater than a dozen MLAs, leaving the Congress shaky over the re-election of Ahmed Patel to the Rajya Sabha.
Whereas Patel had pulled by ultimately, the Congress had that 12 months managed to win probably the most seats within the Meeting after 1995, when the BJP fashioned its first authorities within the state.