After lying low for several months, the former Gujarat chief minister, Shankersinh Vaghela, 81, has again got politically active, gearing up for the state Assembly elections slated for December this year. In a political career spanning over five decades, he has been part of several parties, including the Jan Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, and has floated two political outfits of his own. Last Wednesday, he attended a meeting of the “G-23” Congress leaders at the residence of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi. On his return to Gujarat, Vaghela spoke to The Indian Express on various issues concerning the Congress party and his future plans. Why did you quit the Congress in 2017? See, it will not be appropriate now to say things about people regarding what happened in 2017. A party should remain united on all fronts despite differences within. Back then, I had told Ashok Gehlot (then Congress general secretary in charge of Gujarat) that if Congress would suffer any loss because of my presence, then it is better that I quit the party. I did not utter a single word against the party after I quit, when the 2017 Assembly polls were approaching. What difference do you see in the Congress now? The Congress is seeing many ups and downs of late. However, the party will rise again because it is a people-backed party unlike the BJP which is a cadre-based party. It is democratic to the extent that it allows criticism from within. You had said earlier that you would return to Congress if Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi approaches you. One year ago, I had said that if Rahul Gandhi thinks that he needs my help, then I will join the party. Today, if they call me, I will think about it and then take an informed decision. How big a loss has the passing away of Ahmed Patel (senior Congress strategist and Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat) been for the Congress? I have been a witness to Ahmed Patel’s contribution and work for the Congress party. He acted as a shield for the Gandhi family, often taking their problems upon himself. The Congress across India is suffering due to the void left by Patel…in the absence of his guidance. If Ahmed Patel had been alive, G-23 would not have happened. Even when Sonia Gandhi fell ill, Patel ensured with efficient communication that there is no rift within the party. Many people say that the G-23 leaders are making their moves as they have become “frustrated”. The G-23 members have had a 30-40 years political career with the Congress. They did not defect to the BJP. Those who did had only 4-5 years of association with the Congress. You recently tried to bring the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to Gujarat. What happened to that? Congress will be my first priority. Even when Rahul Gandhi came to Gujarat (ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls), we ensured his meeting with Naresh Patel of Khodaldham. (Naresh Patel, a Rajkot-based industrialist, is chairman of the Leuva Patel community’s Khodaldham Trust). However, if the Congress is unable to take the right decision at the right time, then I will have to approach other Opposition parties to create a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Not just in Gujarat, I wish to be a “sutradhar (convener)” for all Opposition parties, be it from West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, to ensure the defeat of the BJP in the 2024 general elections.
