Five days after joining Congress, Koli leader back to BJP

Five days after he had joined the Congress, Koli community leader Raju Solanki returned to the BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah in Gandhinagar on Friday.

Solanki, who also heads the Veer Mandhata Group, had joined Congress on Sunday in the presence of party's state chief Bharatsinh Solanki, party's Gujarat in-charge Ashok Gehlot, and other leaders.

The Congress had plans to pit Solanki against Koli strongman and minister Parsottam Solanki, but it has been nipped in the bud. Solanki described Parsottam Solanki as an elder brother, and attributed his decision to return to the BJP to Congress's plan to divide the Koli community votes.

"The Congress wanted to pit me against Parsottam Solanki, who is a top leader of our community, and also like my elder brother. I have rejected the offer. I have been working with him for 20 years, and it was natural that I would not be ready to fight against him," Solanki said.

Solanki also claimed that he had taken the decision to join Congress in an impulsive manner, and had been convinced by community leaders to rejoin the BJP. The move, seen as a blow to Congress, once again changes equations in Bhavnagar, which sends key political figures such as Parsottam Solanki, state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and senior Congress MLA Shaktisinh Gohil to the assembly.