Gujarat Congress rebels to stay away from campaigning

Troubles mounted for Congress in Gujarat today with senior leaders who have rebelled after being denied tickets declaring they would not campaign for the party in the assembly polls, as former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin became the rallying point.

Amin, former city mayor Himmatsinh Patel, ex-MLA Naresh Raval and a host of other Congress leaders came together by organising an anti-party gathering where they said the outcome of the upcoming elections is a foregone conclusion with no possibility of the party coming to power.

Lambasting state Congress leaders and the high command for denying tickets to 'worthy' candidates at a huge gathering of Congress workers, Amin said, "Senior leaders who have been denied tickets will not campaign for the party in the assembly polls.

"I request you all to stay away from party work. Worthy candidates have been overlooked and those whom people don't even know, have been fielded," he said.

Stating that the results of the assembly elections are a foregone conclusion with no possibility of Congress coming to power, Amin said a decision regarding the future course of action will be taken in the next few days.

Amin, an influential Patel community leader and former president of Gujarat Cricket Association, was denied ticket on the grounds that he had lost two elections in a row. Himmatsinh Patel also could not secure ticket for his son and thus was aggrieved.

"The decision of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee and the high command to deny tickets to worthy candidates has upset us. They have insulted us.

Candidates, who have not worked for the party and do not meet the people, have been given tickets. Many office-bearers have resigned and Gujarat Congress will have to face the consequences.' he said.

To a query whether Union minister Rajiv Shukla, who met him yesterday, had offered him a post in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Amin retorted "Rajiv Shukla doesn't run BCCI. I have neither been offered any post nor have I made any compromise."

"The conspiracy of so-called senior leaders like Arjun Modhwadia, Shaktisinh Gohil and Shankarsinh Vaghela has today left Congress in Gujarat in a bad shape," Raval said.