Former Gujarat Chief Minister and estranged Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Tuesday announced his support to Jan Vikalp Morcha, a ‘political start-up’, in the upcoming Assembly election.

Declaring his support to the newly-formed political outfit, Vaghela said: “Jan Vikalp is just a political front and not a political party. It will provide an alternate to the people of Gujarat not only in the upcoming 2017 polls, but beyond that as well. Jan Vikalp will have a positive approach and work as an alternative force to the ruling BJP and ineffective Congress (parties).”

Vaghela said the outfit was floated by some city-based “professionals”, who approached him to provide an alternative to the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Gujarat, and claimed a number of people wanted to see him as the chief minister.

Formed by Parthesh Patel, who was an online media advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past, and recently supported Vaghela, Jan Vikalp Morcha will contest elections on all the 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat.

Notably, in late 1990s, Vaghela had formed a third political entity — Rashtriya Janata Party — which had failed to make any electoral dent in the BJP and Congress’s position in the State.

“It is a myth to say that an alternative political force cannot work in Gujarat. Through Jan Vikalp we will provide a platform to anyone willing to serve people, those looking to take advantage of the people are not welcome,” Vaghela said, adding that even other political parties such as AAP, NCP and JD(U), which have similar ideologies, can join the “third front”.

The candidate selection will be done through “primaries”, Vaghela said. “No one needs to be approached for candidacy but the people.”

Vaghela had walked out of the Congress in July along with 13 rebel legislators.

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