‘Ready to join Congress to throw out BJP’: former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela

'Ready to join Congress to throw out BJP': former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela The former CM has held discussions with state and central leaders of the Congress, states his return will happen only after he meets the LoP.

Key points

• 5 min read Ahmedabad Sep 30, 2026 06: 22 AM IST First published on: Sep 30, 2026 at 06: 10 AM IST.
• The 2017 Assembly election saw the Congress put up its strongest performance in Gujarat since the BJP came to power in the state in 1995.
• Ahead of the 2002 Assembly election, held in the aftermath of the Godhra riots, Vaghela was appointed Gujarat Congress chief.
• Almost a decade after quitting the Congress, former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela is in advanced discussions with the party leadership concerning returning.
• Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi remarked, Residents are seeing hope in Gandhi as the leader who will save the country and the Constitution.

"To throw out the BJP government, I am ready to join (the Congress), " Vaghela informed The Indian Express on Tuesday. He remarked he had discussed the problem with AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda, and former Union Minister Bharatsinh Solanki, but stressed that his return would happen only after a session with Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi.

In practice, the development comes ahead of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation elections, due next month and ahead of the Assembly elections, scheduled for December next year. Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation polls on October 11.

Meanwhile, the 86-year-old leader, who quit the Congress in 2017, remarked he had informed the Congress leadership that he was "not expecting anything from the party but wanted to give".

Vaghela, who views the 2027 election as his last opportunity to create a political impact, has confirmed an "aggressive campaign" from October 2 to revive the Praja Shakti Democratic Party (PSDP). It he founded in 2020. "This Assembly election is my last chance. I don't think I can be as active afterwards. I want to do my bit to fight the BJP, " he informed Express earlier this month.

He had additionally stated he had reached out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the then AICC Gujarat in-charge Mukul Wasnik regarding six months ago, but received no response. Surjewala took over from Wasnik earlier this month.

Congress leaders are divided over what Vaghela brings to the table. On Tuesday, Chavda remarked to journalists the party had begun preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections and that a number of "dissatisfied leaders" would, over the next few days, share the stage with the Congress and "work cohesively to bring a change in Gujarat".

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Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi remarked, "Residents are seeing hope in Gandhi as the leader who will save the country and the Constitution. Therefore, Congress is welcoming all like-minded individuals."

Nevertheless, a section of the party leadership remains wary of Vaghela, largely as of the circumstances surrounding his departure in 2017.

Vaghela confirmed his exit from the Congress on his 77th birthday, weeks before a high-stakes Rajya Sabha election in which the late Ahmed Patel, then the political adviser to current Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, won by a narrow margin.

Vaghela, then the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, quit four days after questions were raised regarding at least eight party MLAs allegedly cross-voting in the Presidential election held that month. Ram Nath Kovind secured a two-thirds majority in the election.

In practice, the 2017 Assembly election saw the Congress put up its strongest performance in Gujarat since the BJP came to power in the state in 1995. The party won 77 of 182 seats, against the backdrop of the Patidar quota agitation led by Hardik Patel.

For context, the Congress's position in Gujarat has since declined sharply. It at present has 12 MLAs in the 182-member Assembly, not enough to claim the post of Leader of Opposition. The party won no Lok Sabha seats from Gujarat in 2014 or 2019. In 2024, it won one seat – Banaskantha. It is at present represented by Geniben Thakor.

In 2021, a year after Patel's death, Vaghela had expressed interest in returning to the Congress ahead of the local body elections. After Patel's death, Vaghela hoped the Congress would see him as a "mentor and strategist" and consider taking him back, according to individuals close to him. Nevertheless, that did not happen.

Now, Solanki, who was GPCC chief when Vaghela left the Congress, is among those working for his return. "I have been trying to bring him back for a year-and-a-half, " he informed The Indian Express on Tuesday. While leaving the final decision to the party high command, he remarked, "Our aim is to defeat the BJP in Gujarat using all the resources we have." Surjewala could not be reached for comment.

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Vaghela's association with the Congress dates back to the 1990s. After breaking away from the BJP in 1996, he founded the Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) and became Chief Minister of a Congress-backed administration. He has publicly credited Ahmed Patel with helping facilitate the alliance. The RJP afterwards merged with the Congress.

Ahead of the 2002 Assembly election, held in the aftermath of the Godhra riots, Vaghela was appointed Gujarat Congress chief. He subsequently served as a Union Minister in the first UPA administration led by Manmohan Singh.

After quitting the Congress in 2017, Vaghela formed the Janvikalp Party. In 2019, he aligned with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). A year afterwards, he founded the PSDP.

For now, 'Ready to join Congress to throw out BJP': former Gujarat CM Shankersinh remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.