GANDHINAGAR: Several old Congress leaders in Gujarat have written a letter to All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi, and alleged that Shankersinh Vaghela, leader of opposition (LOP) in the state assembly, who joined Congress after parting with BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), is helping BJP's prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in finishing off the party in Gujarat. Around 60 Congress leaders, including former ministers have also signed the letter sent to Sonia Gandhi and demanded the removal of Vaghela from all important posts of the party. It also asks that he not be given a Lok Sabha ticket in the upcoming elections.

Former secretary, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Commmittee (GPCC) Jayesh Shah said, "I and around 60 Congress leaders and workers, which includes former ministers have written to Soniaji about the damage done by Shankersinh Vaghela, who joined Congress after working for 38 years with RSS and BJP. He was brought in to the party when he merged his party RJP into the Congress with a view that he would help Congress fighting Modi, but he never did it. He has done extensive damage to the party and worked against the party. He is also helping Modi in finishing off the party in Gujarat. He is using the party for personal gain only.

Those MLAs who left recently all were from his group and he did nothing to stop them. He still has an RSS/BJP style of working."

"He should not be given any important position in the party as he is trying to get a ticket for the Lok Sabha from Sabarkantha. Amarsinh Chaudhary, Madhavsinh Solanki and all party leaders have opposed his entry into the party. Today too he is acting as a group leader only instead of a party leader," Shah said.

When contacted Vaghela said, "It's all wrong. No one has complained against me to Soniaji. Everything is politically motivated."

There is also speculation that Vaghela too join the BJP at any time before the Lok Sabha elections. However so far he has denied this.

In December 2013, during the wedding of Vaghela's granddaughter, Modi took the limelight like a celebrity guest even though he attended for just 15 minutes. A jubilant Vaghela's office sent a photograph of Modi with Vaghela's family, and didn't care to take notice of senior leaders like Ahmed Patel, Arjun Modhwadia, Shaktisinh Gohil.

