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Barely a week after it rather unsuccessfully tried to milk the cow protection issue, Gujarat Congress has announced yet another agitation from June 16, in support of farmers’ demands.
Ahead of this, the party leadership is reportedly trying to mollify senior ‘rebel’ leader Shankersinh Vaghela and clip the wings of Gujarat Pradesh Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki. Rumours have been rife on Vaghela considering jumping ship to the BJP, his former party.
Party sources said Solanki’s ‘style of functioning’ has alienated other leaders as well.
The Vaghela-Solanki tiff has added to the woes of Congress leadership over the past two months, even as it tries to put its house in order ahead of the Assembly elections later this year.
As parts of the peace efforts, AICC general secretary in-charge and former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, and other leaders, roped in Vaghela when they went to meet Governor OP Kohli to submit a memorandum in support of farmers’ demands. They also had lunch at Vaghela’s residence here.
The memorandum to the Governor sought a high-level inquiry into the alleged “custodial death” of Patidar youth Ketan Patel at Mehsana last week.
Taking cues from farmers’ agitations in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other States, Gujarat Congress has also demanded farmers’ loan waivers.
It has announced a road blockade from June 16.
The Congress leaders also met the Patidar youth’s family members, who had initially refused to receive Ketan’s body, alleging police torture.
Meanwhile, at 77, Vaghela continues to be an unpredictable leader.
Almost everyday either he or some other Congress leader insists that he continues to be with the party. But doubts prevail. On Sunday, when asked the latest status of Vaghela, Gehlot simply pointed towards Solanki, who reiterated that the senior leader is still with them.
Vaghela has been skipping most party programmes and meetings over the past two months — including a recent meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
There is also speculation that Vaghela and his supporters could make their next political move just before the Presidential election next month.
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