State Congress unit likely to see more changes

As Solanki and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela belongs to the Kshatriya community, sources said that Vaghela was likely to be replaced by Paresh Dhanani hailing from the Patel community.

Party leaders feel that Dhanani being young and dynamic and having established his performance in the state Assembly, will be a better choice than others.

[related-post]

As for Vaghela, sources said that he was likely to be made the chairman of the party’s campaign committee for the 2017 Assembly elections. Sources said that Solanki was quite comfortable with Vaghela and the duo might inject a fresh life into the party which is out of power in the state for the last two decades.

While Vaghela is being appreciated for leading the party after 2002 riots when most of the Congressmen had refused to take the baton owing to the then chief minister and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s influence, Solanki is hailed for reviving the party’s network at the grassroots level during his stint between 2006-2008. Though party could not win 2002 Assembly elections, Vaghela had challenged Modi boldly.

Sources say that the outgoing party president Arjun Modhwadia is also likely to be accommodated in the AICC by appointing as national spokesperson.

The appointment of Solanki as state party chief, according to party sources, is an indication of the decline of the political clout of Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel as Solanki and Patel are reported not to be on good terms with each other.

Solanki is said to be the choice of party’s national vice-president Rahul Gandhi who is all set to be anointed as party president after his return from a fortnight sabbatical.