Discussions about bringing Shankarsinh Vaghela back to Congress have started after the former Gujarat Chief Minister announced his willingness to rejoin Congress in a video recently. According to Congress sources, a decision might be taken after February 15.
Vaghela had said that if Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi called him from Delhi to defeat the BJP in Gujarat, he would be ready to talk to them and join the Congress unconditionally. Following his video, discussions about the same started when Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki held a closed door meeting with Vaghela at his residence two days ago.
However, sources say that an exercise has been underway to bring back Alpesh Thakor who had switched over to the BJP from Congress. Solanki is said to have split from the Congress the night of Vaghela’s visit and tried to bring back Thakor.
With the 2022 Assembly elections looming over the Congress, the party is gearing up for Vaghela and Thakor›s return home to fight the BJP and establish caste-based political equations. It is important to note that at present the Congress does not have any big leaders with mass appeal in Gujarat.
According to Congress sources, the current panchayat and municipal elections are similar to a mini Assembly election for the party. In the 2015 local body elections, the Congress had defeated the BJP in rural areas. The Congress flag had been hoisted in 23 out of 31 district panchayats. However, the Congress had proved to be weak in the metros even then.
It is being said that, after the death of Ahmed Patel, a veteran Congress leader in Gujarat, the Congress is looking to salvage itself in the state by repatriating Vaghela and Thakor, especially in a situation where there is no leader who can personally convey the voice of the state to the high command in Delhi. This might explain why Bharatsinh Solanki has stepped in to make up for the loss of a well-known face with caste equations and the aggression to challenge the BJP in the next Assembly elections as strongly as in 2017.