<p>Ahmedabad: "Taking moral responsibility" for the party's defeat on the two seats in the bypolls, the Gujarat Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil on Monday resigned from his post. Party insiders, however, said Gohil resigned due to "huge factionalism".</p>.Congress MLAs were exposing corruption in govt: Jagadish Shettar.<p>Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat in Junagadh while BJP's Rajendra Chavda defeated his closest Congress rival. In Visavadar, the Congress candidate lost his deposits. </p><p>"I have taken the moral responsibility for my party's defeat and resigned as the president of Gujarat Congress with immediate effect. I have handed over the charge to Shailesh Parmar so there is no question of sitting on the decision and waiting for approval," Gohil said while stressing that he resigned only because of the party's dismal performance. </p><p>Congress insiders said that reason also lies in the selection of newly appointed district and city presidents whose names were announced on Sunday. They alleged that senior leaders influenced the appointments in their candidates' favour rather than choosing deserving candidates. </p><p>Gohil, on the other hand, denied any other reason behind leaving the post other than the party's poor performance. He was appointed state Congress president in June 2023 ahead of 2024 general election in which Congress could win one Lok Sabha seat after drawing zero for ten years. </p><p>Congress sources said that the party is facing massive factionalism around three of its senior and popular leaders. "Gohil was being challenged in all his decisions by these leaders and the big defeat in the election gave a chance to Gohil to give up the post. Even during the Congress Working Committee meeting in Ahmedabad in April, these leaders were found throwing their weight around the national leaders in order to undermine Gohil's stature."</p><p>Meanwhile, the party suspended its spokesperson Dr Amit Nayak for alleged anti-party activities and his controversial comments over scheduled caste communities.</p>
<p>Ahmedabad: "Taking moral responsibility" for the party's defeat on the two seats in the bypolls, the Gujarat Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil on Monday resigned from his post. Party insiders, however, said Gohil resigned due to "huge factionalism".</p>.Congress MLAs were exposing corruption in govt: Jagadish Shettar.<p>Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat in Junagadh while BJP's Rajendra Chavda defeated his closest Congress rival. In Visavadar, the Congress candidate lost his deposits. </p><p>"I have taken the moral responsibility for my party's defeat and resigned as the president of Gujarat Congress with immediate effect. I have handed over the charge to Shailesh Parmar so there is no question of sitting on the decision and waiting for approval," Gohil said while stressing that he resigned only because of the party's dismal performance. </p><p>Congress insiders said that reason also lies in the selection of newly appointed district and city presidents whose names were announced on Sunday. They alleged that senior leaders influenced the appointments in their candidates' favour rather than choosing deserving candidates. </p><p>Gohil, on the other hand, denied any other reason behind leaving the post other than the party's poor performance. He was appointed state Congress president in June 2023 ahead of 2024 general election in which Congress could win one Lok Sabha seat after drawing zero for ten years. </p><p>Congress sources said that the party is facing massive factionalism around three of its senior and popular leaders. "Gohil was being challenged in all his decisions by these leaders and the big defeat in the election gave a chance to Gohil to give up the post. Even during the Congress Working Committee meeting in Ahmedabad in April, these leaders were found throwing their weight around the national leaders in order to undermine Gohil's stature."</p><p>Meanwhile, the party suspended its spokesperson Dr Amit Nayak for alleged anti-party activities and his controversial comments over scheduled caste communities.</p>