At a public meeting with his supporters in Gandhinagar, Vaghela did not mince words to make his message loud and clear.
Discarding the subdued resistance he had been playing out over the past few months, Congress leader in Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela on Saturday lashed out at the party high command and declared to a 3,000-strong crowd of supporters that his commitment to Sonia Gandhi was over.
At a public meeting with his supporters in Gandhinagar, Vaghela did not mince words to make his message loud and clear. "In 2004, when I was made a minister in the UPA government, Sonia Gandhi said she trusted me despite my RSS-BJP links. In return, I promised her loyalty. However, when we met in Delhi recently, I told her my commitment was over."
Vaghela said there were elements in the party working overtime to get him expelled. "I told Rahul Gandhi that it's them who were putting up posters saying 'Bapu for CM' all over the city. Enough is enough. I have called you all to share my frustration," Vaghela told his supporters gathered at the auditorium of Gandhinagar Civil Hospital.
Citing the UP poll debacle, he slammed the party leadership for failing to learn from mistakes.
"I think the Congress high command has taken 'supari' from the BJP to finish the Congress. The high command should make the right decisions at the right time so that candidates and workers get enough time to prepare for polls."
After his address, several of the supporters were seen requesting him not to quit the party or active politics. Some suggested him to stay strong to dethrone the BJP in Gujarat. To them, Vaghela said he will convey their 'message' to Rahul, when he meets him on June 30.
King of revolt
In 1995, when Keshubhai Patel was made the chief minister of Gujarat, Vaghela expressed his displeasure. Some senior leaders proposed his name for deputy chief minister, but neither Vaghela nor Keshubhai accepted the suggestion. In September 1995, he rebelled against the BJP leadership. He had 47 MLAs on his side.
In a compromise that was worked out by the leadership, Keshubhai was replaced on the CM's chair with Vaghela loyalist Suresh Mehta. Vaghela lost the Godhara seat in the May 1996 Lok Sabha polls. Alleging conspiracy, he quit the party, taking along his supporters and bringing down Mehta's government.
In October 1996, Vaghela floated the Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) and became the CM with Congress support. In 1998, RJP merged with the Congress.
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