My existence not tied down to any party, says miffed Vaghela

Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela, who has been miffed over the party high command's indecision on declaring him its Chief Ministerial candidate in Gujarat, on Wednesday stoked speculations that he might rejoin the BJP, saying his existence was not tied to any one party.

After meetings with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Gujarat affairs in-charge Ashok Gehlot in New Delhi, he said: "Party strategy for the coming elections, issues, candidates, all these was discussed at the meeting."

Asked about his poll strategy, he said the "the party's strategy is my strategy, what else".

"Nobody has seen tomorrow," he said when reporters asked him if he would join the BJP as was being rumoured.

Later, when asked what he meant by this statement, Vaghela told IANS: "It is simple. I am with the Congress now. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. It is like nobody was aware on the eve of her death what was to happen to Indira Gandhi the next day."

On further questioning, an irritated Vaghela said in Gujarati: "Mein koi ni, ke koi party ni kanthi nathi bandhi rakhi (my existence is not tied down to anyone or any party)."

Vaghela has been consistently denying that he would join the BJP amid rumours that he might not be given Congress' baton for the elections. The latest round of speculations is that BJP, his original party, may make him governor of some state and his son, Mahendrasinh, could be accommodated suitably as a minister.

--IANS

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