The Congress has opened channels with former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, 86, for his possible return to the party, nearly a decade after his exit triggered a series of defections from the Gujarat Congress ahead of the 2017 Assembly election.
Whatever he had is already lost. The RJP later merged with the Congress. “His entry could add one more faction to the existing groups. “I don’t think he has a large following. He may not help the Congress much.
To be sure, Vaghela had been with the BJP till 1995 when he formed the Rashtriya Janata Party and became Gujarat chief minister with Congress’s support in 1996. His return, for one, could add another layer to the Congress’s internal factionalism, particularly when it is time to distribute tickets during the elections likely to be held by the end of 2027. For Vaghela, Dholakia said, a return to the Congress would provide a platform to remain politically relevant, but he did not expect it to have a major electoral impact in the 2027 assembly election.
Amit Dholakia, head of the department of political science at MS University in Vadodara, said Vaghela’s political experience could help the Congress rebuild in parts of central and eastern Gujarat, including the tribal belt, but his return would also bring organisational challenges. It might be difficult to manage the internal factions over tickets,” he said. My fear is that Vaghela, knowing what he has been, might end up creating problems for the Congress in Gujarat,” Shah said. Shah said Vaghela’s reputation as a strategist should also be viewed against his record during his earlier association with the Congress when the party could not expand its support base despite having him as head of the state party unit. “He is a good strategist, but his previous strategies did not work for the Congress,” he said.
A meeting between Vaghela and Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, is also expected before a decision is taken.
Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda said discussions are underway with Vaghela and that the party would take next steps after talks with its leadership.
