‘I am not joining BJP or any other party’

GANDHINAGAR: Senior

Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela

on Tuesday clarified once again that he had no intention of joining the BJP or forming another party. However, he expressed unhappiness with the poor “homework” done by the Congress for the 2017 assembly elections.

Addressing journalists at press conference on Tuesday, Vaghela announced that he will hold a meeting of his supporters on June 24 to discuss what should be done. The proposed meeting is being seen as a show of strength (Shakti Pradarshan) by Vaghela to put pressure on the Congress high command to accept his demand that the party’s candidates for the 2017 polls be announced at the earliest.

“I am not joining the BJP or any other party. Neither am I forming a new party,” he said.

“There is a need to do a lot of homework considering the possibility of our winning the 2017 elections,” the Congress leader said.

“In 2012, there was no decision on 28-30 seats till the last moment. Such mistakes cannot be repeated if we are to win the elections,” Vaghela said.

He said he had demanded that the Congress do its homework well.

“You cannot pass people’s exam without good homework. I told Ahmedbhai, Soniaji, Rahulji and Gehlotji that we need to announce candidates for the polls so that they can go among the people and work for party. We need to decide about a tie-up with NCP and JD-U,” Vaghela said.

He said that he was not in the race to be chief minister. “I have publically clarified this two times. My only concern is to get a majority for the Congress,” Vaghela said.

When asked whether or not he will contest the 2017 elections on a Congress ticket, he said, “Wait for the 24th (June).”