Vaghela retaliates, sidelines two ‘rebels’
State Congress president Shankarsinh Vaghela on Monday rushed letters to senior party leader Hasmukh Patel and GPCC vice-president Balu Patel withdrawing the responsibilities he had entrusted to them.

This comes in the backdrop of events last Friday when the two leaders attended a meeting called by leader of the Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Amarsinh Chaudhary to dethrone Vaghela. Party sources said anti-Vaghela faction is likely to hold a meeting at Gandhinagar under the leadership of Mr Chaudhary on Tuesday to discuss this sudden move from Vaghela.

Mr Vaghela informed The Asian Age that he would continue to take such action against "all those who do not trust their leader".

The letters handed over to Hasmukh Patel and Balu Patel on Monday afternoon stated: "Considering your utterances against the state party president at a meeting held in Gandhinagar last week, I withdraw the responsibilities entrusted by me."

"In my letter to the two leaders, I have mentioned that considering your lack of respect to the state party president, I take away the official posts held by you in the GPCC. Any leader who is uncomfortable under my leadership, should resign. They have no right to serve under such a president," Vaghela said.

As for the disciplinary action against the leaders, he said that he would write to AICC president Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

With this, Balu Patel would no more be incharge of Gujarat Congress Seva Dal, nor as chairman of GPCC membership drive. However, Mr Patel said that he would still be vice-president of

GPCC as he had been appointed by the party high command. "The GPCC president has no powers to sack me from the post," he said.

Hasmukh Patel said that the letter addressed to him specifies that he will no longer continue as party spokesperson. "I never claimed to be the party spokesperson after I tendered my resignation in December 2002," he said.

The two leaders maintained that they had not done anything to harm the interests of Congress. "We will meet senior party leaders on this issue," they said.

Meanwhile, in yet another development president of Gujarat Congress Seva Dal Pramukh Patel tendered his resignation late Monday evening.

Republished from The Asian Age