Nothing sums up the state of the Congress in Gujarat better than the fact that the principal opposition is without a legislature party head a day before the first session of the newly elected Gujarat Vidhan Sabha commences here on Tuesday, Jan 22.
Complete confusion rules in the rank of the Congress opposition which had 61 elected members in a House of 182, including two members of Parliament. While one, Somabhai Patel quit his Limbdi Vidhan Sabha seat , the second, Porbandar MP, Vithal Radadia, chose to defy the party diktat and has decided to retain his Dhoraji Vidhan Sabha seat. Another of its party legislators, Savita Khant elected from Modva Hadaf in Panchmahals district, died immediately after, thus reducing the Congress tally in the State Assembly to 59.
The post of leader of the opposition fell vacant because Shaktisinh Gohil who occupied it in the outgoing Assembly was defeated from Bhavnagar rural as was state party chief Arjun Modvadia from Porbandar and another party big-wig Siddartha Patel, son of former chief minister Chimanbhai Patel from Dabhoi.
Though former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela is considered the front runner for the post of leader of the opposition, the situation has been complicated by Vithal Radadia throwing his hat in the ring. Radadia’s name was doing the rounds prominently for being included in the union cabinet during the last reshuffle but after his gun toting act at a national highway toll booth put paid to his chances in Delhi. Belonging to the Patidar community, Radadia is now brandishing his claim to head the legislature party in Gujarat. Unconfirmed reports say that he has also opened a line to the BJP in a bid to put pressure on the party leadership which was nonplussed after another Patidar leader, Narhari Amin quit the party in a huff on being denied a party ticket in the just concluded elections. Radadia’s son, Jayesh, was also elected to the Vidhan Sabha from Jetpur recently. In case both quit the party, Congress will be down to 57 seats.