Cong heavyweight Vaghela quits

After months of discussions and haggling over his role in the coming Assembly elections, maverick Gujarat Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Friday quit the party with the same sinking sense of deja vu of the 1990s when he left the BJP that he had resurrected in the state.

Vaghela was addressing a 5,000-strong crowd that continuously cheered his oneand-a-half hour speech at a public rally organised in Gandhinagar to celebrate his 77th birthday.

“I have resigned from the Congress and all party posts,” announced Vaghela, who had earlier in his address said that the party has “thrown me out 24 hours ago”, which the Congress has denied. Vaghela also made it clear that he “wasn’t joining any party”, quashing speculation that he could head back to his old party, the BJP. But he seemed to keep his options open, stressing on the fact that he was not retiring from politics.

There has also been talk that Vaghela --- Bapu to his supporters --- could launch his own party, but there was no such announcement on Friday.

“He (Vaghela) wanted to be made the party's state president. But no party can comply with this request...It's something that the party leadership must decide and cannot be left to individuals,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, adding, “The Congress regrets a veteran leader of his stature resigning.”