Siddharth Patel is Gujarat Congress chief

AHMEDABAD: Senior leader and legislator Siddharth Patel was on Monday appointed the chief of the Gujarat unit of the Congress, replacing Bharatsinh Solanki ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Patel, who represents Dabhoi in the assembly, has been in the news for sometime as Solanki, who had offered to resign from the post after the party's loss in the December 2007 assembly elections, had urged the central leadership to take an early decision.

Congress sources said Patel's name was finalised after a negotiated truce between the two rival factions - one led by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's political adviser Ahmed Patel and the other of central Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela.

The truce came after an understanding that though Patel would be the president, he would have two executive presidents and four zonal convenors.

Solanki, son of former chief minister and external affairs minister Madhavsinh Solanki, said it was the prerogative of the party high command to assign responsibilities. 

Patel is the son of late chief minister Chimanbhai Patel.