Post-poll shifts: After Congress rout, Paresh Dhanani offers to quit as Leader of Oppn

In 2014 too, the opposition party failed to win a single seat.

The Congress had performed well in the 2017 elections in Gujarat, restricting the BJP to just 99 seats out of the total 182, and increasing its tally to 77 from 58 in 2012. After winning the Amreli legislative seat in 2017, Dhanani was chosen as Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat assembly. In the Lok Sabha polls, he contested from the Amreli parliamentary seat and secured 3,26,781 votes. Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya of the BJP won the seat, securing 5,27,593 votes.

Manish Doshi, Spokesperson for Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, confirmed to The Indian Express that Dhanani had offered his resignation.

Dhanani said he would continue to work as a footsoldier of the Congress party.

Three days ago, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also offered to quit from his post. Dhanani hinted that he was expressing solidarity with Rahul. Six state Congress chiefs have also reportedly offered to resign.

“Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has been refused by the CWC as he had fought the polls with full vigour,” Dhanani said.

Meanwhile, in Vadodara, a group of Congress leaders and workers held a demonstration demanding that Gandhi continue to provide leadership to the party. Rutvij Joshi, a state Congress spokesman, called upon Gandhi to lead the party in its ideological battle and to champion the cause of the youth, farmers, minorities, the poor and deprived sections.

(With PTI inputs)