Cong rivals in Gujarat exchange blows

AUG 26: Police had to be called in to restrain the workers. It all happened at the residence of Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary wh...

AUG 26: Police had to be called in to restrain the workers. It all happened at the residence of Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary who, along with PCC president C.D. Patel and members of the Solanki group, were giving the list some final touches.

Except Ahmedabad, the list for the five municipal corporations was out late in the evening. The Ahmedabad list could not be decided. During the meeting, Solanki supporters became agitated when they learnt the list had already been finalised and faxed to Chaudhary’s office in the Assembly even as discussions were on.

They alleged that the list was finalised despite assurances given to them by central observers B.K. Desai and Sudha Joshi that they would be heard first. An altercation followed and the Solanki group members were soon on their feet, shouting at the top of their voice and alleging that money had exchanged hands in the process.

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As they walked out in a huff, some of them caught the rival group members by their collars and hit them. Plastic chairs kept in the compound of Chaudhary’s bungalow were also hurled.

When the noise increased, Chaudhary came out of the meeting, apparently to pacify the partymen. But guaging their mood, he retreated. Later tempers cooled and the leaders sat down to finalise the Surat list. However, the party leaders could not decide on the Ahmedabad list till late in the night as the Solanki group and former RJP members insisted on a fair share of ticket allocations.

Jagdish Thakore, a Solanki group leader, claimed that they were not given a fair representation. He said there was a tussle over several seats in Rajkot and Bhavnagar, while they were taken “for a ride in Vadodara and Surat”.

On the other hand, a leader of the Patel-Chaudhary group asserted, “This is a fight, we will obviously have the upper hand. They didn’t think twice before abusing Amarsinh Chaudhary and C.D. Patel at their groups conventions held recently. Why should we give them a fair share.”