Shankersinh Vaghela, who recently quit the Congress, is set to launch a third front in Gujarat ahead of the Assembly polls.
The former Chief Minister and Union Minister has joined Jan Vikalpa, a political outfit floated by his supporters to provide a third alternative to the people of Gujarat. “We need an alternative to the BJP and the Congress in Gujarat because people are fed up with both political parties,” Mr. Vaghela told reporters on Tuesday.
‘Formidable alternative’
According to him, Jan Vikalp will prove to be a formidable alternative. “In Gujarat, both the BJP and the Congress play a fixed match on everything,” Mr. Vaghela said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and in charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot slammed Mr. Vaghela, calling his Jan Vikalp a ‘B team’ of the BJP. “Vaghela stands exposed now. At the BJP’s behest, he tried in vain to defeat Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha polls,” Mr. Gehlot said. “Since the BJP has found that the ground reality is different, it is sponsoring Mr. Vaghela’s third front to divide anti-BJP votes. But now the people of Gujarat have seen through Mr. Vaghela and the BJP’s secret deal,” he added.
Asked whether the Jan Vikalp will contest in all seats, Mr. Vaghela said candidates will be fielded in the maximum number of seats possible.
Mr. Vaghela and 13 other legislators recently split from the Congress ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls.
Except Mr. Vaghela and his MLA son Mahendrasinh, all other legislators have joined the BJP. Mr. Mahendrasinh is likely to join the BJP in the next few weeks.
